My reading had slowed up a little but I managed to finish a couple of books while I was on holiday.
Book #9 - Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews
I can't imagine there are many people who haven't heard of this book (or series of books), however a brief synopsis for anyone who hasn't:
After the sudden death of their father, four children find themselves penniless and forced to travel with their mother to live with her wealthy parents. The Mother informs her children that there has been tension between herself and her parents for many years, but does not elaborate and simply says they had cut her out of their lives for something she had done of which they disapproved.
Corinne's mother Olivia, a religious fanatic, takes her daughter and her children into her home, though with the harsh condition that the children must be sequestered away in a locked room so that her husband Malcolm (who is dying) will never know of their existence. To that end, the children are shut inside one bedroom of the mansion, only with access to the mansion's attic via a secret stairway.
I read this book years ago, when I was a teenager, and although I enjoyed it then, I think I was probably too young to really appreciate the horrors bestowed upon these children by their Mother and Grandmother. The book really is a harrowing tale of how the children are gradually forgotten about by the Mother who has locked them away. It is difficult to say too much without spoiling some of the big'reveals' in the book so I will just say that I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Book #10 - Stolen by Rebecca Muddiman
A missing child. A mother destroyed. A life stolen. When Abby Henshaw is brutally attacked by two strangers who dump her at the side of a remote country road, her first thought is for the safety of her baby daughter, Beth. But what follows is a mother's worst nightmare: Beth is gone and Abby's world collapses around her. As the world-weary DI Michael Gardner investigates Abby and her family, he discovers lives built on secrets and betrayal. Under pressure from his bosses to find the missing child and unearth the truth, Gardner finds himself struggling to stay emotionally removed from the case, and from Abby herself. After the authorities finally shelve their investigation, Abby receives an elusive message telling her where she can find her daughter. But how can she convince those around her that the girl really is Beth when they are the very people she knows the least?
This must be a debut novel as I was unable to find any others by her. This was a fabulous book. Well written and gripping, there are a few twists and turns and you will suspect just about everybody along the way. I was reading this during every spare minute I had at WDW last week, even choosing to arrive late at the park one day so I could read a bit more.
Book #11 - Orphan Train:A Novel by Christina Baker Kline
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...
As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.
Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.
I decided to read the book after it was recommended in this thread (or it may have been last year's thread) and I am so glad I did. It was a very quick read but full of intrigue. I just HAD to keep reading, to find out what would happen to both Molly and Vivian next.
