I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
With a dual timeline and two sets of main characters, this is a heart-tugging and warm Christmas story about family, friends and finding your purpose in the world. The first timeline is 1972 with John Creighton and his wife Joan. They have two young children and Joan has cancer that she is battling bravely. John wants to do something special for his wife, so he decides to build a kitchen table for the family. Flash forward to 2012 with Lauren Mabrey, a young woman who has just discovered that she is pregnant. She and her husband have just started housekeeping, so they need to establish a special place for their new baby. Lauren gets the assistance of her helpful friends at Glory’s Place to find a new kitchen table and to decorate the baby’s nursery. The table is what draws the two timelines together. I really enjoyed reading Joan’s recipes that she got from her mother and that she is trying to pass down to her own daughter before the horrors of cancer take her away from her family. When Lauren discovers the recipe cards in the Christmas table, she starts learning how to cook, but she is also determined to find the one who wrote the recipes to begin with, knowing that they are a legacy. What a wonderful story this was of hope and love and what we leave behind! The story lines were engaging, and each time I read about Joan and then switched to Lauren, I was eager to go back to the other character, whoever it was at the time, in order to continue their story and discover the end of the story. There was a lot of emotion in each chapter, building to the end that was satisfying and also tear-bringing. Fans of VanLiere’s Christmas tales will find a lot of love within the pages of this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
This was the most delightful, positive and happy romance that I have read this year! With just enough conflict to keep me interested and just enough romance to tantalize me, SEASON OF JOY is a book that started out my holidays with a jingle and a tingle. Joy Benson has been hurt by love and is not looking for another entanglement. What she does want to do is start her own art gallery. But without the encouragement of her parents, Joy has to strike out on her own to find a way to fund it. Enter Granger Fields, a single father of two who needs someone to watch his two young daughters while he works on the family’s Christmas tree farm. Joy agrees to give the two darling little girls art lessons and so the real story takes off. I absolutely loved the independence and self-confidence that Joy displayed in her own abilities. With parents too self-absorbed to even notice how talented she was, Joy’s determination was admirable. I think that my favorite characters were the two young girls, Abby and Willow. Abby was precocious and Willow was so needy of a mom that my heart just went out to that little sweet heart. All of the characters were portrayed so realistically that it was like I was watching a well-made movie. (Attention, Hallmark! This book would make a great Christmas movie!) The plot had just enough twists in it for me to want to keep reading until the satisfying and happy conclusion. I really enjoyed the setting of the Sweetwater Springs and the Merry Mountain Christmas Tree Farm. Visiting with old friends who had been in previous books was like a visit home again for me; there was Jack and Dawanda and Emma…lots of favorites. Although this book is part of a series, I feel that it can be enjoyed as a Christmas standalone. I highly recommend this feel-good book that will start out your season with positive vibes, ready to decorate, celebrate and ring in the joyful season! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would give this book a PG-13 rating because of the romantic scenes. Nothing explicit but may not be appropriate for younger readers. Photo and Bio from the author’s website at Annie Rains
Available on October 13th, but you should pre-order NOW! Purchase Links:
I did read the other two books in the series, but I think that this third book in the series can definitely be read as a standalone. It is a fun, quick-paced and very light romance, with some humor and intense love scenes. Claire Smythe has chosen Highlands, Georgia, to hide from her past. She does a fairly good job of hiding until she meets farmer Holt Pierson, a young man who is trying to find what he really wants from life and is thrown into a tailspin when he meets Claire. I enjoyed the romance, but I thought it all happened a little fast. The characters in the town were just quirky enough to keep me reading. I liked that Claire sought a friendship with Anna and that they supported each other. I also really liked the character of Ms. Meadows, Claire’s employer who is like a mom or grandmother to her. Ms. Meadow’s has suffered loss herself and is also very wise in her advice to Claire. The story was well-developed, with just enough complications in the characters’ lives to keep me engaged all the way to the end. Great addition to the series! Those looking for a light romance will enjoy this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this book a hard PG–13 with the comment that I would not want my teen granddaughters to read this book because of the sexual innuendo that is almost a kind of foreplay.
Just when I thought that Mary Burton couldn’t get any better with her suspense thrillers, she proved me wrong by writing this book. It was a total thrill ride from the beginning to the satisfying conclusion! It includes a cast of characters that are a motley crew of suspects for current fires in the college town of Missoula, Montana. Joan Mason has left behind her job as a homicide detective in Philadelphia to return to Missoula when arsonist Elijah Weston is released from prison. Joan is determined to prove that Elijah is still setting fires and should not have been released. Joan also encounters her college sweetheart Gideon Bailey and her former roommate Ann. The interactions between the characters is absolutely electric! The entire book consumed me because the story was mesmerizing, with all kinds of twists and rabbit-hole leads. I enjoyed going along with Joan on her journey to discover the truth. My heart raced when more fires were set and more people were endangered or killed. I just wanted to find out who the fire bug was and why this seemed to be such a necessity for his/her life. Mary Burton is an absolute master of moving a story along quickly with action and descriptions that are as fiery as this book was. I highly recommend BURN YOU TWICE to anyone who loves suspense thrillers and who wants entertainment that will not disappoint or leave you hanging. I was actually sad to see the story end because I want more of Joan and the other inhabitants of the little town of Missoula, a town with a personality of its own. What a thrill ride you are getting on when you pick up this book! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this book a strong PG-13 because of the content. There is violence with descriptions of victims of fires and some reference to pre-marital and extra-marital sexual encounters.
Excerpt (from the author’s website):
Prologue
Missoula, Montana May 13, 2010 1:00 a.m. Ten Years Ago
The college campus bar was packed with students celebrating the end of another school year. All eyes were on the small stage, now flashing with blue and white spotlights as a singer gripped the mike and hit the high notes on the song’s last chorus. Everyone was mesmerized, including Joan and Ann who were standing near the bar.
He had been watching the two women for weeks. He knew where they lived, where they hid the spare key to their house, their class schedules, and even what they ate for breakfast. He had been in their house several times, lain on their beds, inhaled the scent of their perfume from their clothes and dreamed about this night. Over the course of the last few weeks, the rhythm of their lives had become second nature to him.
Now as Joan and Ann seductively moved to the music’s beat, he removed a small vial from his jean pocket and moved closer to the bar. When the bartender turned to fill a drink order, he quickly squeezed several drops of a sedative into each woman’s drink. The drugs would not knock either woman out immediately, but the dosage was enough to coax each back across campus to the safety of their home.
As he melted back into the crowd and the song ended, Joan and Ann turned back to the bar and gulped from their beer mugs. Their bodies glistened with sweat and they were laughing. They were so confident and sure of their bright futures.
He had only five minutes to wait before Ann set her drink down. She yawned, said something to Joan, who shook her head as if she wanted to stay. He thought for a moment Ann might leave alone. Having only Ann at the house was not part of the plan. For it all to work, Joan needed to be in the house as well. Tension rippled through him as he thought about all his plans crumbling. Maybe he should have put more drops in their drinks.
And then minutes later, Ann spoke to Joan again and the two stepped out into the cool night air. He followed, careful to keep a safe distance. “I just need a minute,” Ann said as she walked toward the middle of the parking lot. “I’m dizzy.” “I’m a little tired myself,” Joan said yawning. “Would we be wimps if we called it a night?” Ann said. “No. We’ll both head home.” Joan’s words sounded a little slurred. Ann blinked and gently patted her own cheeks with her hands. “But you have been looking forward to hearing this band.” “I’ve heard enough,” Joan said. “And you look dead on your feet.”
They walked the three blocks to their small one-story house located at the edge of the campus. He followed, careful to remain in the shadows. Several times, they paused, drew in breaths as if to clear their heads, and then continued walking.
When they arrived home, Joan fished out the key from under the front doorstep mat and pushed it into the lock. “I didn’t think I was that drunk. But I feel like I’ve been kicked by a mule.” Ann leaned against the house. “We’re tired, is all. We’ve both been burning the candle for weeks.”
Joan opened the door and clicked on the light. Ann said something he could not hear, and they both giggled as they moved into the living room and plopped onto the couch by the bay window.
Anticipation burned in him as moved toward his truck parked across the street. He was anxious to get this party started but knew patience and the details mattered. He pushed back a surge of desire. “Focus,” he whispered. “Stick to the plan.”
Joan rose and moved toward the kitchen. She tripped, righted herself, and then opened the refrigerator door. While she stared, her body swayed as if standing up straight required too much concentration and effort. Finally, empty handed she closed the door and moved past Ann, who had now passed out on the couch.
She shut off the light in the living room and seconds later a beside light in her room clicked on. She all but fell down on the purple bed spread. She tugged off her shoes, tossed them on the floor and shut off the light.
He waited another ten minutes before reaching under a tarp covering the bed of his tuck. He grabbed the handles of two gallon sized plastic jugs stowed side by side. The containers were each filled with gasoline and the tops were sealed with fragments of a torn gym sock.
The night’s inky blackness offered him the cover he needed, as he moved with practiced efficiency. He had planned this night for weeks and pictured each and every detail down to the last moment. Crossing the small front yard, he ducked around the side of the house. He set the first unlit device under Joan’s window and then moving around the house place the second jug by the back door. There was a third gasoline styled bomb under the house’s crawl space and positioned under Joan’s bedroom.
As he reached for his lighter, he noticed that the backdoor was unlocked. “Sloppy, girls. Sloppy.”
The temptation to see Joan and Ann unconscious and helpless was too strong to resist, so he carefully pushed open the back door. The house was silent as he moved into the small living room toward Ann, who lay on her belly, her hand draped over the side of the couch. A part of him was sorry for her. Ann was sweet by nature and so pretty. “You should have listened to me.”
He moved more confidently across the room and carefully pushed open Joan’s bedroom door. She lay on her back, her body relaxed and boneless. Her breathing was deep and steady. He stood by her bed and gently brushed back her dark hair. She had a pretty face. A very nice body. But she was bossy. Loud. Had a real mouth on her. “This is all your fault. Ann will suffer because of you. You just don’t know when to stop pushing.”
As if something deep inside of her sensed the danger, she drew in a deep breath and rolled on her side toward him. He stood very still, watching and waiting for her eyes to open. Even as he feared discovery, a part of him wanted her to see him standing over her. He imagined her shock and then her fear. God, how he wanted to see her tremble.
“Joan,” he whispered. “Guess who?”
Dark urges burned inside him. It would be so easy now to strip her naked, shove inside of her and show her just how badly she had underestimated him. But that was not part of the plan. His fire would dish out the perfect punishment.
He rose, crossed the room and closed her bedroom door. He closed and locked the kitchen door behind him, carefully centered his device by the door and adjusted the torn sock deeper into the gasoline. He fished a lighter from his pocket and dragged his thumb over the spark wheel. A flame flickered. For just a moment, he stared at the pretty flame that danced and undulated as it whispered promises of destruction.
He lighted the gasoline-soaked cotton cloth, and it caught fire immediately. Practice had taught him that this was the critical time. There were only seconds before the flame reached the gasoline reservoir, so he had to move quickly to the second device, light it and hurry to his truck.
As he slid behind the wheel and started the engine, the first bomb exploded. Though it was tempting to stay and watch his fire roar to life, he pressed the accelerator and slowly drove down the street. The second explosion under Joan’s window pulled his gaze to the rearview mirror now illuminated with orange and yellow flames licking up the side of the house. The blaze on the backside of the house cast off dark billowing smoke that threaded up and through the flames.
God, it was beautiful. Pride swelled in him. He grew hard, sorry now he had not taken Joan.
As he turned the corner, the third bomb denoted, and more flames shot up as a fire engine’s siren blared in the distance. Help was on the way. Too bad it would not be in time.
For more information about the author, go to her website at MaryBurton.comPhoto was taken from this site.
Available tomorrow, but you can pre-order it now! Purchase Links:
Although this is book #9 in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves, it is the first book that I have read by this author and can definitely be read as a standalone. Vera is a detective inspector who is headed home in a snow storm, gets turned around and lost in the blowing snow and ends up finding an abandoned car with a baby left alone in the back seat. Rescuing the baby from the elements, Vera heads to the closest house, an estate named Brockburn where her father was raised. The quest for Vera to find the baby’s parent turns into a murder investigation when the body of Lorna Falstone is found in the back yard of the estate. Creepy, full of atmosphere and fast-paced, this book was a magnetic draw for me since I love police procedurals and crime thrillers and this book was the best of both. Vera’s team is called in and Vera’s determination to solve the murder mystery leads to a deep dive into the secrets of the family and the local townspeople. There are rumors, infidelities, and drama galore in this highly entertaining British crime thriller. I really liked the character of Vera Stanhope who reminded me of a female Columbo from the American TV series, frumpy with unexpected insights and no filter on the mouth. This was very humorous at times, especially as Vera unraveled the mystery and got closer to the perpetrator as she waded through numerous suspects. The author did a terrific job of developing each character, including the multiple suspects, in such a way that they were memorable enough for me to keep track of them. Vera also reflects on her own childhood in this story, which was perfect for me since it was my first book about her. I totally enjoyed this book and will absolutely look for more of these in the future! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Dealing with murder and secretive family relationships, this book is definitely a PG-13 rating.
Information about this award-winning author can be found at www.anncleeves.com
A romance packed in with a lot of drama, this book was a fun, entertaining and fast-paced read. Mara Reed has moved to Starlight, escaping Seattle and her ex-husband with all of the bad memories that the divorce brought. Not least of the bad memories was Paul’s divorce attorney, the very gifted Parker Johnson, who absolutely destroyed Mara’s reputation and left her with little in the way of finances in order to support her small daughter Evie. Parker is in town to help his brother build businesses and meet a deadline. While there, he also helps his brother Josh in coaching a young soccer team which includes Evie. The romance is inevitable but how Mara and Parker get there is a magical mix of author insight and just plain good writing. The tale weaves around the two soon-to-be lovebirds, but it also includes Josh and his plight as a single father and little Evie who is so damaged her cruel father who basically ignored and disparaged her. I enjoyed the characterization the most in this story as well as the cute setting of a small town in which everyone knows everyone and also all about the relationships happening at any one moment. I especially enjoyed how Mara was willing to help Josh and build her own self-confidence after Paul’s unending attacks on it. Finally, I liked that Parker was willing to self-reflect about his part in Mara’s discouragement and lack of trust of males. All in all, this was a quick and excellent romance that I highly recommend. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Because this book includes extra-marital sexual relationships, I would rate the book a definite PG-13.
Author bio: Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at http://www.michellemajor.com.
This twisted, scary, gripping book fits into multiple genres. It is a thriller, psychological suspense and mystery all rolled into the pages of a book that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. The story is a complicated one about a family that has suffered a tragedy and lost themselves in the midst of it. Molly Clarke’s daughter Annie was killed in a terrible accident, and Molly and Nicole both blame themselves. Molly’s husband becomes distant, her son ignores her and Nicole withdraws. One night, Molly leaves her son’s football game and goes for a drive. Like in all of the Snoopy novels, “it was a dark and stormy night.” It is unimaginable what happens to Molly! She runs out of gas and gets a ride with a truck driver and his daughter Alice. Then, she just disappears. There is a note left in a hotel that she booked and the note tells her family, “Don’t look for me.” Nicole is not satisfied with that and is determined to find her mom, thus endangering her own life since Molly was actually kidnapped by a seriously deranged man. The emotions that I felt as I read this creepy book were terror, hatred, hope, and awe. I think that these were the same emotions that the narrators, Molly and Nicole, were feeling as they traversed the journey to find each other again. Action packed and filled with family drama, this was a really original look at what happens when you decide to walk away from your old life and try to start a new one. The surprising twists kept me absorbed in the stories of Nicole and Molly as I gasped at each new turn in this strange roller coaster ride. Fans of psychological suspense, mystery and thrillers will really enjoy this book but will need to set aside time to read it in one setting because it will be hard to put down! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Because I love mystery and suspense, this book was perfect for me. But it will not be for everyone because of its content. I would rate it a hard PG-13.
I gave this book five stars because it was highly entertaining, but it should be rated M for mature audiences because of the content. The language is not too bad, but the plot revolves around various sexual scandals. Many thanks to #WilliamMorrowBooks for inviting me to read and review this book.
As a big fan of Kate Young’s Southern Sass series, I was dancing with glee when I found out that she has a new cozy mystery series. This was just as good as I could have ever wished! With some really shady characters (providing a substantial suspect pool) and a strong female protagonist, this book appealed to all of my hot buttons as a cozy mystery fan. Lyla Moody is supposed to be a receptionist for her uncle’s PI firm, but when one of her friends is killed, she starts to dabble into investigating herself and gets into deep waters quickly. I think my favorite part of the book was the Jane Doe Book Club, a club of mystery book readers who end up trying to figure out real crimes. I really want to join that club! As expected, some of the characters were quirky and the ending was a total surprise for me. Since I enjoy being surprised in a mystery, that was a bonus point for the author and the way she wove the story line with plenty of clues as well as red herrings. I am looking forward to more Jane Doe mysteries from Ms. Young. I love everything that she has written because she does her craft so well! Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this book and look forward to more! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this book PG. Photo and bio information from author’s web site: Kate Young Books
This was a book with extremely well-developed characters and a very complicated plot. The book starts with Romilly Kemp and her father Tobias moving into a house in the English countryside. Romilly seems lonely and at times neglected as her father concentrates on writing and illustrating a book about her and her cat Monty. She is homeschooled so her only socialization comes when a girl named Stacey shows up. But Stacey doesn’t come daily; she comes whenever she wants. In the days between, Romilly is left alone to talk to Monty and to try to engage her father. Tobias means well but he is slowly leaving the world, first with his mind that is more and more unaware of reality. The fact that his published book garnered much attention and enough sales to support him and Romilly should have had Tobias celebrating. Instead, as strangers begin to show up on their small estate looking for some kind of hidden treasure hinted at in the book, Tobias withdraws more and more into himself. This is the part of the book that got very hard for me to read since I felt so bad for Romilly. Her mother is not present, her father is disappearing slowly before her eyes, so she is left to care for herself. Although there is kind of a magical quality about how resourceful and independent Romilly becomes, I found it very dark and sad. The father and daughter had a deep and loving relationship that was slowly dissipating as I read the book. Tobias doesn’t really stop loving Romilly; he just isn’t really aware any longer that she exists. His mental illness is a main theme of the book as is her growing up and facing her father’s inevitable death. I kept reading the book because I wanted to find out what happened to little Romilly, forced to take care of herself when she should have been enjoying a happy childhood. The question remains about whether her childhood was actually happy as she seems to be fine with everything, if a little puzzled at times about what her next step in life should be. There is a hidden story, a treasure hidden within the main plot, and woven throughout that is the treasure that Romilly needs to survive, to encourage her to keep going. I found the story to be dark with hidden gems but very sensitive topics that the author dealt with in an imaginative and different way. Since this is a debut novel, I expect to hear more from Polly Crosby in the future as she hones her craft of weaving a fairy tale within a tale with a truly adult theme. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would definitely caution my readers that this book deals with some dark and sensitive themes, so it is not for everyone. I would rate it ahard PG-13.Author Bio: POLLY CROSBY grew up on the Suffolk coast and now lives deep in the Norfolk countryside. Last year, THE BOOK OF HIDDEN WONDERS was awarded runner up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel, and Polly also won Curtis Brown Creative’s Yesterday Scholarship, which enabled her to finish the novel. She currently holds the Annabel Abbs Scholarship at the University of East Anglia, where she is studying part time for an MA in Creative Writing whilst working on her second novel. Social Links:Author Website Twitter: @WriterPolly Instagram: @Polly_Crosby Facebook: @PollyCrosbyAuthor Goodreads
You probably know me as the Kemp Treasure Girl. Maybe you had the books as a child. Perhaps your dad read them to you in those wilting hours of sleep where books become dreams and dreams become books. Did you look for the treasure, digging in your garden, unsure of what you were searching for?
Mine was an unusual infamy for one so young. Not an all-encompassing, celebrity fame, but one that flattened me into two dimensions and picked out the colour of my eyes and my dress. One that stopped people in the street and made their necks crane back round to gaze at me.
The version of me in the books was my friend. She was always there for me, sharing in my adventures, appearing at the lifting of a page. But children grow up, and as I grew taller and wiser, Romilly Kemp in the book stayed young and innocent, a sickly-sweet imposter who wore my dress and suckled at my father’s love, leeching it away until there was barely any left for me at all.
But then I made a real friend. Someone I could trust: someone who knew intimately my deepest, darkest thoughts even if I dare not acknowledge them myself.
But the beginnings of a friendship are like the beginning of a book: you never know how they will turn out until the very end.
One
Braër was an ancient farmhouse. A month of living there had still not unearthed a fraction of its secrets.
As I ran from the house, tugging on unfamiliar wellies, I stared up at Braër’s mossy roof and dirty walls. Dad told me that it had probably once been called Brother Farm, but time and the soft Suffolk accent had changed it.
The house itself was long and low and surrounded on three sides by a moat clogged with cowpats and slime. Perched in the water at one end was a gargoyle, with a sinister, winking face. It ogled me as I ran past, its eyes bulbous and staring.
On the south side of the house, down an overgrown path stretched a bumpy meadow filled with sagging grass. It was the perfect camp for my newly invented invisible army, and the edge of my territory. I could go there on my own, making pretend campfires and having sword fights with prickly bushes, knowing that I was safe. I could barely see the house above the long, scratchy grass.
As I set off down the path, a sharp whistle brought me back. Dad was stooped in the back door, his huge shoulders nearly touching the frame on either side. Something small and snow-like was curled up in his open palm.
‘What is it?’
‘I wanted to draw one, so, why not?’ he said, planting the tiny kitten into my eager arms, and suddenly it was mine. ‘It’s a Siamese,’ he said, wiping his hands on his trousers, leaving a snail’s trail of white fur on the corduroy.
‘Is it a girl or boy?’ I asked, trying to look through the fur at the correct place.
‘A boy.’ Dad crouched down, looking at me as I hugged the kitten. Briefly he reached forward and touched my cheek, and I leant into the roughness of his hand. ‘Yes,’ he said to himself, his voice a growl of love, ‘it’s that look in your eyes, right there that I want to capture.’ He straightened up, his knees creaking. ‘I’m going to need to paint him. And you, of course. I have an idea…’ he trailed off. Frowning at me, he turned on his heel and entered the house, leaving the kitten and I alone.
I examined his bony body. He was small and soft, and smelt of wee and sawdust. He had pale creamy fur tinged with chocolate brown at each edge. As I was studying him, he uncurled himself, tipping off my arms and towards the moat below us. I caught him by the tail just in time, tucking him back safely into the crook of my arm. He opened his eyes for the first time and stared at me with big, red-blue irises. He was hot and slightly sticky-damp in my hands, and I loved him immediately.
I balanced him on my shoulder and made my way up the two flights of stairs to my bedroom, filling the kitten in on the minutiae of our lives.
‘Dad lost his university job ages ago, and he’s been trying to work out what to do with himself ever since,’ I said, tickling him under his chin as I ran up the second staircase; the tiny windy one that Dad was forever tripping up on. ‘He says we’ve moved here so he can paint instead of teach art. It’s the summer holidays, and I’m going to be nine soon, and Dad says he might have to give me a painting instead of a real present for my birthday, but that’s okby me because his paintings are like stories made real. He says someone has to make money, or we’ll be living on bread crusts and moat water. Here, this is us.’
I pushed open the three-foot-high door that marked the entrance to my vast bedroom.
The kitten perked up as we climbed through into the huge, bright space. It was the shape of a tent, one of those old-fashioned tents – a huge triangle. And it felt like a tent too: when it was windy outside, the air caught beneath all the beams and vibrated until you felt like there was nothing but thin canvas between you and the sky.
When Dad had first shown me my room, I spent the entire day in there, not daring to believe all this space belonged to me. There were dustsheets over the furniture, and in the corner, a pretty parasol leant against the wall as if the young lady it had belonged to had left it there only moments before. I liked to open it up and walk the length of the room in a sedate manner, pretending I was as posh as the young lady who had owned it last.
I tipped the kitten onto the bed, and studied him. ‘You look like someone important,’ I said, ‘and important people have long names. How about Captain Montgomery of the Second Regiment?’ Montgomery seemed satisfied with his name, and curled up happily on the quilt.
