Books to leave you breathless!

by Rita Lee Chapman

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5 books

I chose these books, by some of my favourite authors, because they are so well crafted they left me breathless! I hope you will enjoy them too.

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The Last Letter from Your Lover

Jojo Moyes, 2012

I chose this book because Jojo Moyes is one of my favourite authors, and this is definitely my favourite Jojo Moyes book! It is an amazing novel and beautifully crafted. Two stories are intertwined, one set in the sixties and one set in the present. Both involve journalists working for the same newspaper. Highly recommended.

The Paris Seamstress

Natasha Lester, 2018

I loved this book and hated it. I loved it because Natasha Lester is a brilliant and polished author. I hated it because it swaps between WWII and the present in nearly every chapter—confusing and frustrating! Both stories are filled with love, death, and trauma. Despite the chopping and changing, it is a remarkable read.

The Book of Two Ways

Jodi Picoult, 2022

As always, this book by Jodi Picoult is beautifully written and very well researched. The Book of Two Ways is an emotional rollercoaster. The protagonist returns to Cairo and her lover after fifteen years in a happy marriage in the USA. The descriptions are so vivid you can taste the food laced with sand, feel the cramped tomb and see the brilliant colours of the hieroglyphics. This book will intrigue and enrapture you, but beware, the ending will leave you frustrated.

The Hidden Palace (The Daughters of War, Book 2)

Dinah Jefferies, 2022

When their father dies, Helene cares for her younger siblings in the Dordogne region of France during WWII. At first, their lives change little, but eventually, the war reaches even their little village. One of the sisters becomes a nurse, one joins the resistance, and one stays at home to grow fruit and vegetables to ensure they have food to eat. One day, a young German deserter arrives on their doorstep, sick, hungry, and frightened. Will they take him in or turn him away?

Centre Stage

Judy Nunn, 2011

This is a real page-turner. Alex Rainford is charming, captivating everyone he meets. He persuades his best friend, Julian, to write plays based on Alex’s life. Eventually, it occurs to Julian that Alex is fascinated by death – and is bordering on madness. How far will he take his obsession with death?