Leslie Wilson (1)

This novel tackles an interesting subject. Set during the turbulent English Civil War, a vicar spends the night in the gaol cell of an old woman who is to be hanged for witchcraft in the morning. He questions her on the various crimes of which she is accused, wanting answers which will satisfy his own tormenting religious doubts, and his doubts about his dead wife and whether or not she was unfaithful to him. To obtain answers, he inflicts torture on the woman, such as having her walked up and down the cell by gaolers, kept awake (by implication for days before this) and even beaten.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, including that of the old woman, Alice, the vicar and many others in the community. She seems to condemn herself, as the village wise woman who exploited her position of fear and was the daughter of the previous wise man. She has had an unusual history compared to others who have never left their village, because, as a young woman, she ran off with a handsome juggler leaving her daughter Margaret and husband, which is another thing to set her apart. Alice had a troubled relationship with Margaret who felt unloved, and also with an adopted daughter, the child of her sister who died giving birth. Yet it becomes clear that a lot of the accusations are unfair and should instead be directed against other people.

As well as the multiple viewpoint, the story is told in small snippets so the viewpoint switches are frequent. Every character has his or her axe to grind. The outcome is not in doubt either, because the opening segment is by Margaret who has fled the area with her family having first buried her mother in the churchyard - a burial place denied those who have been executed for witchcraft, but which, as it transpires, the vicar will not challenge for reasons of his own.

I found a problem with the constant swapping around between so many viewpoints, which for me diluted the narrative and made it difficult to keep track of who was who at times, a problem worsened because there wasn't much differentiation between the voices. So an interesting concept and period of history but not quite well enough executed to really hold my interest.… (más)

Germany, 1945. The Russian armies are closing in. When Hanno Frisch sees his twin brother killed, he's had enough. On the run, he meets streetwise Effi. She's on her way to the West to find her father, who's in the US Army. Effi's learned the hard way that she must keep secrets to herself - and she's even less keen to trust Hanno when she finds out he's a policeman's son. But there are far more dangerous people on the road: Russian soldiers, German deserters - and Major Otto, who likes to play games with people before he kills them.

Last Train from Kummersdorf seems to be a realistic account of what life was like for a German at the end of World War II. I had no trouble believing in the brutality and trouble faced by Hanno and Effie as they try and find somewhere that is safe. The book certainly held my interest, although I must confess I found the writing a trifle mechanical. It gave the book a robotic feel that made it difficult for me to truly feel for the characters and the circumstances they were in. Of course, this may have been a good thing, as the situations they were in were frequently horrifying, but I would have liked to have been able to feel closer to them during their journey.… (más)

I have to confess, I love books like this. Forbidden romance with a side of (inter)national conflict? Yes please. That said, I wasn't entirely impressed with Saving Rafael in the beginning. It IS a Young Adult novel, and you can definitely tell: the writing makes no attempt at artistry, it's just pure storytelling, and at times it felt a little simplistic for me. However, I persevered, and after a few chapters I found myself unwillingly charmed by the characters and completely hooked by the vivid setting. [full review on my bloghref>]… (más)