Month: February 2014

The Soprano who Inspired Mozart

Book Review for "Vienna Nocturne" by Vivian Shotwell. In the late 18th Century, the only places where a singer could become truly famous were in Italy and Vienna. So that's where the British child prodigy Anna Storace went to show off her amazing voice. Her rise to fame was legendary, as was her friendship with … Continue reading The Soprano who Inspired Mozart →

A Job of a Woman

Book Review for "The Puttermesser Papers" by Cynthia Ozick. Ruth Puttermesser is a keenly intelligent woman and a fervent feminist, who by all rights should have been living an exceptionally amazing life. But despite her Ivy League law degree and total dedication, at age 34 she seems stuck with her lack of ambition in an … Continue reading A Job of a Woman →

A Glimmer to Find What Was Lost

Book Review for "Light Shining in the Forest" by Paul Torday. Norman Stokoe is the new "Children's Czar" of England's Northumberland, and he has fallen between bureaucratic cracks with the newly formed government. He has a brand new position but no green-light to do anything. Still, with a good salary, his secretary Pippa and an … Continue reading A Glimmer to Find What Was Lost →

Music to Soothe the TB Chest

Book Review for "A White Wind Blew" by James Markert. Wolfgang Pike is a driven man. From a young age, his father trained him in many musical instruments, hoping he would become a musician and composer. As Wolfgang grew, he dreamt of writing a symphony, but then he fell in love with the Catholic Church … Continue reading Music to Soothe the TB Chest →

Artful Stories

Book review for "Dreaming Rodin" by John M. Flynn. With John M. Flynn's collection of short stories, "Dreaming Rodin" we get a very mixed bag indeed - and I mean this in a good way. There is a whole lot to commend this short collection that is jam packed with surprises. To begin with, we … Continue reading Artful Stories →