📖 Publication Day Book Review~The Naming of Moths by Tracy Fells

 

Fly on the Wall Press
10 November 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Stories of myths, mothers and monsters.

THE NAMING OF MOTHS features stories of magical realism, myths and legends re-imagined, where all the characters are undergoing transformation or facing a pivotal moment of change in their lives. People and animals interchange their shapes. Story landscapes flit from fairy-tale woods to urban homes. Here love, hope and kindness weave between the realities of man’s endless talent for cruelty.

📖My Review..

Sometimes it’s such a treat to sit back and relax into a set of well written short stories and this debut collection of eighteen short stories certainly captured my imagination with well written tales which cover the central theme of transformation. Cleverly put together I found much to like and spent an enjoyable couple of hours dipping into the book, reading stories which appealed to me by their title and gradually getting drawn into the magical world of this author’s clever imagination. In particular, I enjoyed the eponymous The Naming of Moths, an interesting story with a clever twist, The Frost Hare which had quite an eerie feel to it and Gretel and the Chocolate Wolf which stills roams in my imagination.

Clever, imaginative, and quite compelling, The Naming of Moths, with its interesting blend of magical realism, is the perfect read for an autumn afternoon by the fire.

About the Author

Tracy Fells was the 2017 Regional Winner (Europe and Canada) for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her short fiction has been widely published in print journals and online, including Granta and Brittle Star. She has been shortlisted for the Bridport and Fish Fiction prizes. She is a regular reader for several international story competitions and leads writing workshops on short fiction. Tracy also writes novels and was a finalist in the 2018 Richard & Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ competition. Her debut novella-in-flash Hairy On The Inside (published by Ad Hoc Fiction, 2021) was shortlisted for the 2022 Saboteur and International Rubery Book Awards.

X @theliterarypig.

Website

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Unpicking by Donna Moore

 

Fly on the Wall Press
27 October 2023

My thanks to Isabelle at Fly on the Wall Press for my copy of this book

"I had read enough mystery stories to know that girls who went out to meet strangers at night never came to a good end..."

Stirling, 1877. Lillias Gilfillan, a recently orphaned girl of sixteen, falls in love and elopes with a man who sees her as wealthy and naïve: ‘a little boat without its oars’. In a sea of rising debt and deception, Lillias must learn quickly, or drown.

Glasgow, 1894. Clementina knows little mercy living in a home for ‘wayward girls’. With the ‘Jingling Devil’ always lurking in the shadows and a child growing inside her, can she outrun him and save her best friend in the process?

Glasgow, 1919. Mabel is one of the first policewomen in Glasgow, on a mission to find a murderer. In doing so, she finds a web of corruption and now the ‘Jingling Devil’ wants her dead.

‘The Unpicking’ spans three generations of ‘hysterical women’ who take on systemic corruption and injustice, despite all odds.

📖 My Review..

The Unpicking is a story of three parts and there is definitely a sense of the unpicking of lives which have been shaped and altered by the difficult circumstances of their lives. Often quite stark, the individual stories of Lillias, Clementina and Mabel, although bonded by blood, their lives have been very different. Whilst the stories are very self contained there is a definite theme running through the stories which I don't want to spoil as that would be to do the book, and the author a great disservice. 

History is recreated well, the latter part of the nineteenth century was very much a period of great social and moral changes however, as we see from Lillias Gilfillan's sad story nothing much changed for women who could still be manipulated and have their lives destroyed by men who were supposed to care for them. Parts of the story made me rail against the injustice of it all and I think that, for me, this is where the strength of the story lies. It brought into sharp focus what it was like to be a vulnerable woman in the late nineteenth century and even as we move forward with Mabel's story into a new century there is still a real sense of abuse, hurt and wrong-doing. The author has recreated time and place with a fine eye for detail and both Stirling and Glasgow, places which feature strongly in the story, are very much part of the narrative.

The Unpicking is a difficult read in places but beautifully done and quite compelling and is a story which stays with you long after the last page is turned. I am delighted to make it my Featured Book of the Month for October.

 

About the Author

Donna Moore is the author of crime fiction and historical fiction. Her first novel,a Private Eye spoof called Go To Helena Handbasket, won the Lefty Award for most humorous crime fiction novel and her second novel, Old Dogs, was shortlisted for both the Lefty and Last Laugh Awards. Her short stories havebeen published in various anthologies. In her day job she works as an adultliteracy tutor for marginalised and vulnerable women, facilitates creativewriting workshops and has a PhD in creative writing around women’s historyand gender-based violence. She is also co-host of the CrimeFest crime fictionconvention and is a fan of film noir, 1970s punk rock and German Expressionist.

Twitter @BadsvilleBroad

@fly_press

📖 Blog Tour ~ Disobedient Women by Sangeeta Mulay

Fly on the Wall Press
25 November 2022

My thanks to Isabelle Kenyon for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Set in contemporary India, Sangeeta Mulay's unforgettable debut novel is a compelling story of four unforgettable characters:

Aparna - a courageous campaigner of rationality and freedom of expression. Will the patriarchal grip of a religious society manage to silence her? 

Hari – the passionate founder of a religious organisation. As Hari becomes a rising star for the local Hindu right-wing, will he lose himself? 

Naseem - Aparna's wise daughter who is discovering her sexuality. Will she have the strength to stand up for her mother against societal stigma? 

Kashi - Hari's daughter who is in love with science and…girls? Confused about her sexuality, will she be able to lead life on her own terms? 

Confronting issues of religion, bigotry, sex and politics, DISOBEDIENT WOMEN tells the interwoven stories of two families and their battle of ideologies. A novel of the choices women make under pressure, where to be disobedient is the only option that offers change.

📖 My Review..

This powerful novel grips from the opening chapter with a chilling incident which really sets the scene for what is to come. Deftly moving back in time we learn just what has brought Aparna Soman to this point in her life. Aparna is an vociferous advocate of freedom of expression and vehemently defends women's rights and it is these outspoken passions which rile those who seek to keep women in their place.

Gradually over the space of the story we learn about the other three main characters who add such an interesting dimension to the story, and in particular that of Hari Sabnis who has a fervent mission to set up his own spiritual organisation in order to bring back the glory of the Hindu religion which he thinks is being irreparably damaged. 

Disobedient Women brings contemporary India to life in a very vibrant and thought provoking way and with each strand of the story we are pulled into a dangerous world of discord and bigotry. Interspersed within the story are snippets from social media accounts and excerpts from newspaper entries. The author writes well, bringing this powerful story to life with intricate detail and with a powerful message about the absolute strength of women which is greater than any perceived weakness.

☕ Best Read with..Potato fritters and hot tea

About the Author

Sangeeta Mulay was born in Pune in India and now currently works in London as a UX writer. She received an honourable mention in the 2021 NYC midnight micro-fiction challenge. Her book for young adults, ‘Savitribai Phule and I’ was a notable book of 2020 for The Bombay Review. She has also had a short story highly commended in the Sydney Hammond short story competition. Another of Mulay’s short stories will be published in a 2022 Fox and Windmill anthology.

Twitter @Groggy_Eyes

@Fly_Press

@kenyon_isabelle