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Category Archives: London

Ritz & Escoffier: the Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr

22 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in History, London, Non-fiction

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19th century, 20th century, A. Escoffier 1846-1935, Cesar Ritz 1850-1918, hospitality industry, leisure class, Savoy Hotel (London England), social aspects

November’s Non-Fiction Book Club Selection at the Weston Public Library

Two men, the hotel and restaurant they created like no one else had ever experienced, run in often mysterious and always extravagant  ways ….. which created quite a scandal once exposed.

“Ritz and Escoffier, Luke Barr’s entertaining narrative history, reads like a novel…Mr. Barr has done a fine job evoking fin-de-siecle London and the characters of the two odd men who played such a pivotal role in that exhilarating time.” –Wall Street Journal
 
“In this winningly-told story, Luke Barr explores the advent of the luxe life through the saga of hotelier Cesar Ritz and chef Auguste Escoffier, whose partnership brought us not only the adjective ‘ritzy,’ itself no small testament, but also such once-novel phenomena as hotel rooms with their own bathrooms, and innovative dishes like peach Melba. It’s a charming tale of success, scandal, and redemption—complete with an unexpected villain. Warning: It will make you hungry, and a little nostalgic for bygone times.”—Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and Devil in the White City

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Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, London

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families, haiti, history, mothers and daughters, students, teenagers, volunteerism

Hang-on!  Debut sister writers!  17 year old Alaine has stepped off the path to college for now after “the incident”. Join her on her punishment suspension doing community service in her mother country Haiti to which she has never visited. It is a roller coaster of surprises, family secrets, and even a family curse!

“…. Alaine Beauparlant is that rare character who feels like your complicated but indispensable friend, one you wish you could stay in touch with and hear more fascinating and absorbing stories from long after finishing the book.” -Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory

“The Moulite sisters’ well-conceived debut is an alternately funny and bittersweet story of loss, regret, love, and sacrifice… Seamlessly blending story lines and allusions to Haiti’s history and culture, the authors create an indelible, believable character in Alaine-naive, dynamic, and brutally honest-who stretches and grows as her remarkable, affectingly rendered family relationships do.”-Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“Alaine’s adventures in Haiti were so intense and engaging, I could almost feel the dirt beneath my fingernails, could almost smell the peanuts and plantains. But I think my favorite part was ultimately the female empowerment that permeated every part of this tale, past and present. It left me with a sort of Practical Magic feeling, and that is never a bad thing. Maika and Maritza Moulite have created quite the masterpiece here. I look forward to seeing what they do next!” –Alethea Kontis, NPR

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Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans

25 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in England, Fiction, Historical Fiction, London

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England, London, orphans, smugglers, smuggling, widows, World War 1939-1945

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a funny World War II book before, until this one. Noel is a 10-year old orphan assigned to live with Vera, a single mother living outside London. Noel is very smart, Vera is very desperate to earn money, and together they make an unlikely duo. This book has a lot of humor, great characters, and just the right amount of emotion.

“I try not to say, ‘If there’s one novel you should read this summer..’ but Crooked Heart tempts me to say it.” (Scott Simon, NPR)

“Crooked Heart explores the Blitz during World War II from two utterly inventive perspectives…. A charming, slanted counterpoint to Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“In ‘Crooked Heart,’ Lissa Evans’s absorbing and atmospheric comic novel, another quietly heroic orphan joins the canon….This is a wonderfully old-fashioned Dickensian novel, with satisfying plot twists….Both darkly funny and deeply touching….It’s a crooked journey, straight to the heart.” (New York Times Book Review)

“The most purely charming read of the summer…. The novel’s heart may be crooked, but it is completely in the right place. And if wanting a happy ending for this offbeat pair is wrong, I can’t imagine a reader on earth who would want to be right.” (Christian Science Monitor)

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Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell

09 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, London

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actors, brothers, Great Britain, historical fiction, London, Queen Elizabeth 1558-1603, thriller, William Shakespeare 1564-1616

Philippa Gregory describes this book perfectly: “With all the vivid history that is his trademark, Bernard Cornwell transports the readers to the playhouses, backstreets, and palaces of Shakespeare’s London with added depth and compassion, and a likeable hero.”  This is historical fiction at its best with a thriller element thrown in for sheer reading pleasure.

“In this delightful departure from his popular military historicals, Cornwell (The Flame Bearer, 2016) conducts a boisterous behind-the-scenes romp through the often sordid world of the Elizabethan theater…. Cornwell displays his usual masterful attention to detail…. Sumptuously entertaining.” (Booklist)

“Marvelous…. Full of drama, both on- and offstage, and with numerous delightful, laugh-out-loud moments, this novel is an absolute joy. A must-have for anyone who loves the theater, this is easily the best book this reviewer has read this year.” (Library Journal, starred review)

 

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