so-soFrances's husband is working in Saudi Arabia as an architect in the 1980s. Joining him, she is Isolated by the strictures placed on women and the lack of anything in common with other expat wives, she descends into paranoia - but perhaps they really are out to get her.
Beautifully descriptive writing but I didn't feel engaged apart from a few chuckles at the start as I recognised a few situations and characters from living abroad in the 1980s.
pickKim Ghattas is an Emmy Award-winning journalist born and raised in Lebanon who has spent 20 years covering the Middle East for the BBC and Financial Times. This well-researched book argues that 1979 set Saudi Arabia and Iran on a path that‘s shaped the Middle East. Ghattas has a readable style and I came away feeling but there are a lot of figures in play here and despite a useful list, I sometimes found myself confused about who was who.
#SchoolSpirit #Paint Gabriel Allon is an international spy , but let‘s not forget his other job as a gifted art restoration specialist! 🎨
#weeklyforecast
Definitely finish section for #sundaybuddyread, The Flight Portfolio
My plans for Hitler‘s People is to read one chapter- each chapter is about a particular person.The author states that if you don‘t mind some repetition, the reader can skip around.
I am uncertain about the others.
so-soI started reading this in 2021. I only read a couple chapters, then lost interest. But because my MIL recommended it, I felt the need to give it another try. I recently got Audible and found the audiobook there.
It was pretty good, a solid 3 stars. I liked it enough to finish it, the reveals were unexpected. This is part of a series, but will not continue. 🐪👠
05.02.2024
#libraryhaul
I am trying to curb myself from taking out too many books at a time. I returned 2 (out of 6) today that I did not read. This haul seems more realistic. A memoir, a Celtic age mystery, a novel.
Reading on trains. Women of a certain age, white haired women who read.
#invisible
pickHaving read and enjoyed the Brunetti series, I was keen to read this memoir. It's episodic rather than linear. Fascinating insights - her childhood, teaching career, gardening and ageing.
Who knew that she lost her thesis on Mansfield Park when fleeing Iran in the 70s?
Not much about life in Venice or her writing life but a delightful read. Having tried to trace Brunetti's footsteps in Venice, loved her letter to tourists visiting the Questura.
