Page 9 - Ickford Informer March 2022

APPY NEW YEAR! Yes I know it was Book Reviews
AGES ago, but hopefully you will have read
Hall your Christmas books and be ready for by Jo Tiddy
something new and exciting.

Unsettled Ground, by Claire Fuller Sistersong, by Lucy Holland (soon in paperback)
This is newly out in paperback A retelling of an ancient myth
and newly garnished with prizes and folk ballad, The Twa Sisters,
– she’s recently been awarded this novel is set in the ancient
the Costa Novel prize. This is kingdom of Dumnonia, where
a searing examination of rural magic and folklore are threaded
poverty, and of people who live at through the very bones of the
the very edges of society kingdom. King Cador’s children
will inherit a land abandoned
Twins Julius and Jeanie have by the Romans and torn into
always known they are different. factions by warring tribes. Riva
Middle-aged, they still live with can cure others but can’t heal
their mother in a small, rented her own scars. Sinne dreams of
cottage that has been their love and yearns for adventure,
whole world. When Dot dies and Kenye battles to be seen as
unexpectedly, the twins have to start engaging with the the King’s son, despite being born a daughter. All three fear
outside world, confront their lack of money, and uncover a life of confinement behind the walls of their stronghold,
secrets about their own pasts that have been hidden. They last bastion against the strength of the Saxon invaders.
quickly discover that the outside world is every bit as cruel One day, ash falls from the sky, and with it comes Myrdhin,
and unyielding as they had supposed and being poor and meddler, myth teller and magician.
unconventional makes them a target for some of the local
community. Life becomes increasingly difficult. The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the
land to which they belong. Long dead magic is reawakened.
Quietly disturbing, and very moving, this is a timely But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior, who will tear their
exploration of those marginalized by circumstance. Claire’s lives apart. This lyrical and poetic novel is perfect for fans of
prose is delicate and devastating, and the descriptions of Katherine Arden and Madeleine Miller.
modern day poverty stay long after the final page.

Kololo Hill, by Neema Shah

This astonishing debut novel is . . . and something
set in Uganda. 1972 and Idi Amin
has issued a devastating decree. for the little ones
All Ugandan Asians have ninety
days to leave the country, taking
nothing with them. For newlyweds Frank and Bert, by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Asha and Pran it means A great new picture
abandoning the family business. paperback for little
For Jaya it will be leaving the ones. Frank and Bert
home she has lived in for are the best of friends
decades. In Kampala, violence and they LOVE to play
is escalating, and people are hide and seek. But Bert
disappearing. When the destitute the bear isn’t quite as
and fractured family make their good at hiding as he
way to London, with all the challenges of language, climate, thinks he is . . . and
and casual racism, they experience massive culture shock. Frank ALWAYS wins!
For Asha there is the opportunity to learn resilience and Every. Single. Time.
create a new life for herself.
But when it’s Bert’s turn to hide, and Frank has to decide
The book explores in detail the universal experience of those between winning again OR making his friend happy, Frank
who have had to flee their homelands, and Neema writes so learns that friendship is always the true winner. v
well about the Ugandan exiles, and the trauma suffered by
an entire community. A sense of creeping dread is threaded
through the novel, counterbalanced by descriptions of
everyday life, food, and landscape all of which places the
reader firmly in the heart of the story.

ourickfordnewsletter@hotmail.com 9 March 2022