Joan's picks: Prophet Song and The Dressmaker and the Hidden Soldier

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. This is on the longlist for the Booker Prize this year (shortlist due to be announced in late September. It’s a bit dystopian, although as with The Handmaid’s Tale it all feels a bit close to home ad almost in the here and now to me. Set in Dublin as Ireland is becoming a fascist state - begins with Eilish, a mother of four, answering the door to find men from the new Special Police on her doorstep wanting to interrogate her husband who’s a trade unionist. He’s eventually disappeared and then her eldest son is forced to sign up for military service and in the face of increasing tyranny where you can’t trust anyone ay more she’s forced to find a way to save her family. I loved it, though the fact that it seems so plausible is also what makes it scary. 

The Dressmaker and the Hidden Soldier by Doug Gold. He’s a local guy - you might know him, was in radio for years - and wrote a book a few years ago called The Note through the Wire based on his wife’s parents who met during WW2 and eventually emigrated to New Zealand. This is also based on a true story - of a New Zealand soldier who was serving on Crete and was hidden by a heroine of the Greek Resistance who had a dressmaking business - and a young woman who worked there. You can guess what happened - big love story but also it’s about incredibly brave people. The Resistance woman was discovered and sent to a concentration camp. I haven’t finished it yet but am assuming that the soldier and the dressmaker ended up back here living happily ever after. 

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