Remember when you took Christmas for granted? Well NOT anymore. It was a COVID CHRISTMAS at our house. Seriously. NO presents, NO family--NO NOTHING. Yes--IT IS a lot of work getting ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas BUT the alternative is MUCH WORSE. Realized how much I appreciate my family and friends AND how much I depend on them to make the holidays MERRY. So next time you complain or feel stressed about the holidays--STOP for a moment--and think of the alternative. It's all good. NO worries--We will be celebrating Christmas this weekend and will be GRATEFUL for that. HOHOHO. The only good thing about being stuck home with COVID--I finished a very good book,
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. As the novel unfolds, it is 1947 and Leslie Hamlyn has been living in Africa for many years. One day she gets a book in the mail,
The Casuarina Tree by William Somerset Maugham (author of
The Razor's Edge, The Painted Veil, Of Human Bondage-- my favorites) that immediately makes her think back to the Island of Penang. It was 1921, when Leslie and her husband, Robert found out that his old war buddy, Willie Maugham, and secretary were going to spend two weeks with them at Cassoway House. Willie was desperate to find a subject for his next book, especially, after finding out he had lost everything on a business venture. His marriage of convenience was a disaster and his sexuality was often in question as he traveled around the world with his secretary, Gerald. As Willie and Leslie forge a friendship, he learns of her connections to Chinese Revolutionaries including Dr. Sun Yat Sen. He also learns more than he bargained for about the island--murder, affairs and other fodder for his next great book. This novel of 320 pages is based on real events--it's a multilayered tale of love, deceit, betrayal and hypocrisy--on every level--that is unforgettable. This is historical fiction at its best--Enjoy.
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