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  This is a work of fiction that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2021 but the story is based on the life of the author's grandfather who was a North American Indian who stood up to the the government and did his best to protect the rights of his people. As a prize winner, it goes without saying that this is a very accomplished piece of writing, and as with many Pulitzer Prize winners, it not only makes a good read, but teaches the reader something as well.  There can't be anyone out there who isn't aware of the injustices heaped onto the Indian population by the American government over many years, but what really surprised me was the intention to take away their cultural identity as recently as the mid 1950s. The Indian population had once roamed the plains of America with tribes dotted all over the land, but starting from the 1700s more and more land was taken from them until, by the middle of the last century, they were left with tiny patches of farmland where the soil was too...

  There is just too much to chose from in the library so I like to make my life easier by narrowing my selection down to one of two areas.  When I first arrive I look at the new publications on the shelves opposite the doors and then, if I don't find anything there, I move onto the Recommends table right in front.  There are not many weeks when I can't find anything of interest from those selections and it helps to have a little nudge in the right direction. I was attracted to this one as there were three big piles of it on the Recommends table and I assume they were expecting a lot of interest.  Although it is billed as an International Bestseller, I hadn't heard of it but the theme must have something going for it as this one is the first in a series of eleven. The theme is history, and you need to bring to mind the styles of Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones where modern day lives crash into ancient history.  The series is called The Chronicles of St Mary's and...

Whenever I notice a book that has been either short or longlisted for the Booker Prize, I will always give it a go as it is often a way into the type of books that I wouldn't normally pick up.  This falls very neatly into that category and without the mention of the Booker Prize along the top I would probably given it a miss. It's set in the ever expanding metropolis of  São Paulo, and the story takes place in the glass tower blocks populated by the wealthy business classes and also the shanty towns that crop up all around the edges of the city.  The lead character, Ludo, has connections with both sides of the city as he was born into poverty but, not long after he was born, his mother was offered a job as a cook on a farm that belonged to a very wealthy man and that bought a better quality of living for both of them. The wealthy man is Ze Fischer Carnicelli, who avoids getting down to street level by using a helicopter to navigate around the city.  The only time he ...

  Another winner from the books recommended by my local library.  This time it's an historical novel set in the Second World War but this account is set in the Vatican City sitting as a neutral space in the centre of occupied Rome. The book is about the true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty and the Rome Escape Line, but as the author is quick to point out, it is largely a work of fiction with its inspiration taken from real events. Nevertheless, it captures the very real dangers involved in trying to get escaped allied prisoners of war back to a place of safety. The Monsignor was Irish by birth, and he's a big man with an interest in boxing so he has the physical strength to carry out one of the most daring missions carried out during the war.  In September 1943 the German forces occupied Rome and the feared member of the Gestapo, Paul Hauptmann, was tasked to put a stop to escaped prisoners using the neutral Vatican City as a means to escaping back to their home countr...