The Clifton Chronicles: The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer

Volume two, also read in two days, is mainly concerned with the struggle to determine whether Hugo Bannerman, a thoroughly despicable person, is Harry's father. Emma travels to New York to try and locate Harry, who has been jailed for murder because he took on the name of another man.

We certainly have the good guys and the bad guys in these novels, but everything seems a bit predictable, and just when you think something bad will happen to one of the characters, some implausible escape from disaster is at hand.

These are entertaining enough, and I'll probably read the other two books in the series, but I haven't found anything to really chew on.

The Clifton Chronicles: Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer ****

This was recommended to me by Sandy Weeks, and I read this first volume in two days. It's an easy read, but a good story, told by Maisie Clifton, her son Harry, Hugo Barrington, who may be Harry's father, Giles Barrington, who is Harry's best friend,and Emma Barrington, the woman he falls in love with, old Jack Tar, Harry's friend from the dockyards and his mentor.

The plot is also good, with lots of angles, and even though I wish Joyce Carol Oates had written this, because it would have been deeper and darker, I was thoroughly entertained.

On the volume two, The Sins Of The Father.

They Left Us Everything: A Memoir. By Plum Johnson ***

This is a memoir of a family who lived in a huge old house in Oakville.  The book won this year's RBC award The Taylor Prize for best non- fiction writing, and I heard the author interviewed on CBC- sounded interesting so I downloaded the book.

It was interesting enough, and the story of the parents was intriguing, but it certainly wasn't earth- shattering. Basically a normal family, although the parents were quite colourful people.

Travelling to Infinity ( The True Story behind "The Theory of Everything" by Jane Hawkings *****

This was a wonderful memoir of Jane's life with Stephen Hawking, who is probably the greatest scientific genius of modern times, and who has suffered from motor- neuron disease, known in North America as ALS since he was in his 20s. 

If I had seen that the print was as small as it was, I might not have purchased the book, and at 479 pages of text, it was sometimes demanding physically to read it, but I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. It is a clear, honest depiction of the duties of a caregiver, and in Jane's case, those duties fell on her shoulders from before their marriage through the births and growth of their three children, all the while trying to fulfill her own academic goals, not to mention the high level of care required around the clock for her husband, whose celebrity had several adverse effects on their lives: people thought they were rich, so didn't need assistance, Stephen himself naturally enough bathed in the glow of this celebrity and the knowledge that he was the center of everyone's attention,,so that Jane felt herself just to be a caregiver, and in the opinion of his family and the nurses who eventually took over his care, not a good caregiver. 

There was an interesting dynamic in this family, with the musician Jonathon - I don't think we're ever told his last name- becoming a part of the family, and actually a godsend to Jane, whose emotional and physical well-being were somewhat restored by his inclusion. 

Probably one of the best memoirs I've ever read.

I reread this for Book Club , November 14, 2015. I found Jane a little harder to take in this reading. I think she should have stood up to Stephen a little earlier, and I feel she became very bitter towards everyone as time went on. Considering her relationship with Jonathon, I think she should have welcomed Elaine's involvement with open arms.

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews ****

This book,was chosen for our Book Club this year, and I read part of it last June, but I put it down less than half- way through. I was busy that month preparing for my solo recital, and I just couldn't understand how a woman with such talent as a concert pianist was doing everything she could to kill herself. So,I tried again this month and found it much easier to read, although still difficult to understand Elf's compulsion to kill herself. I found myself agreeing with all the arguments against it, how the nurses in the hospital virtually washed their hands of her.  I could find little more than selfishness in Elf, and could at least understand the continuing despair of those who loved her. And as I read on, I didn't experience any change of mind. 

It should be a good discussion at Book Club in April. I re-read this in April for Book Club. I understand more Elf's situation- her depression, and the inability of her family to save her. I saw also the relationship between the two sisters, although I never did understand the scene where Elf said she had to be perfect for her father. It was a good discussion.