Chapters & Verses - an excerpt from their monthly newsletter

Ros has been reading:

 House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Early each year I eagerly await the proof copy of Jodi Picoult’s latest book. Again I was not to be disappointed.  As usual Picoult has a somewhat controversial topic that she bases the book on.  In this case it is Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism.
Jacob Hall was born a healthy baby, and for the first two years of his life he was a happy, normal child, attaining the usual milestones.  However, at the age of two he had his inoculations, and almost immediately he changed.  His mother sought help from every agency possible, but although there was some slight improvement, the diagnosis and prognosis was not good and in time the final diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome was made.   Was this change in his condition due to the inoculations, or was that just a coincidence?  When Jacob was three, his younger brother was born and tension in the home between the parents grew to the extent that their father left home.  In time the only contact he had with the boys was the monthly alimony and occasional presents.
Determined to have Jacob lead as normal a life as possible, he was mainstreamed into school and with his high IQ, achieved well.  His mother continued to seek help, mainly in improving his social skills.  Huge progress seemed to be made when he was teamed up with a young woman – Jess – and a strong friendship was formed.  However, one day he returned home from his usual appointment with her in a terrible state.  Something had happened which had upset him so badly that for some time he was catatonic and just sat on the floor and rocked.  His mother tried ringing Jess to see if she knew what had happened, but there was no reply.  But Jess was never going to see Jacob again – she was found dead in suspicious circumstances and Jacob was arrested on a charge of murder. Evidence against Jacob was very strong – but did he do it and if so, was his condition of Asperger’s Syndrome enough to plea insanity?
A real page-turner!  This would make an excellent film.

Recipe for Life by Nicky Pellegrino  

Nicky Pellegrino has an amazing ability to transport you to a different place and time.  Her love for all things Italian is obvious in her books, and in this one she returns to Trevino in the south of Italy and we revisit some of the characters and places from Under Italian Skies.  However, it is not necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one.
Alice is struggling with life in England.  Her relationship is foundering and her job is going nowhere, so when a friend suggests that they both go to Italy to stay with her friend’s mother, it is an ideal opportunity to have a break and reassess her life.  Alice is immediately captured with the beauty of the village and the people.  It is there that she meets Babetta, an elderly lady who has spent a lifetime tending the garden of her tiny house, growing food for her family now grown up and gone.  There, under the heat of the Italian sun or shade of the pomegranate tree, secrets will be spoken, fear and hopes shared.  But life’s lessons are not learnt easily.
A really enjoyable read.

Inheritance by Jenny Pattrick

From the bestselling author of Denniston Rose comes another excellent story.  Inheritance follows the lives of a character from her last book, Landings - John O’Dowd – who was born illegitimately to a Chinese father and handicapped mother.
John is now a father himself.  His adult daughter, Jeannie, makes a poor choice of husband who puts them in financial ruin.  However, O’Dowd’s luck changes when he receives news of a relative in Samoa who wants to leave her estate to him when he dies.  Together, O’Dowd, his daughter and son-in-law travel to Samoa.  Full of excitement and enthusiasm about the new start to their lives, they quickly settle and make friends.  Sadly the new life does not alter the drinking and bullying of the son-in-law and life reaches crisis point.
Inheritance is a novel of contrasts:  The tropical beauty and exuberance of Samoa in the 1960’s and the dark violence that arises between truthfulness and love.
Another excellent book from Jenny Pattrick.

Footnote:

There is more, a lot more in their newsletter, if you would like to receive a copy each month by e-mail then contact Chapters & Verses at their e-mail address below:

Chapters & Verses,
272 Stafford Street Timaru.
Email:  chapvers@paradise.net.nz