Journal Entry 1 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Saturday, December 18, 2010

The beautiful city of Venice has been Lydia's home for many years, a place where she has found peace and fulfilment. Then one day she glimpses a young man's face in the crowd that threatens to change everything. He's a heart-stopping reminder of a dreadful secret she believed she had banished to the past ... As a young child, Lydia and her sister were sent to live with grandparents they'd never even met before. It was a cruel and loveless new world for them and it forced Lydia to grow up fast. She learned to keep secrets and to trust sparingly, and through it all she was shadowed by grief and guilt. Now, twenty-eight years later, Lydia is persuaded to leave behind the safe new life she has created for herself and return to England to face the past. And maybe her future.

Given by a friend at the Ladybirds' Christmas party 

Journal Entry 2 by seethroughfaith at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Saturday, January 01, 2011

This is a surprisingly gripping read - surprising because I'm not really a fan of chick-lit and this book clearly falls into that category

some of the story was very predictable, but somehow I was drawn into the lives of the characters, and really wanted to know more. The litany of child abuse was chilling and scary. There are very many abusive parents /grandparents out there -and while the abuse might not be sexual it's no less abhorrent for that.

I also found the details of the cultish church fellowship disturbing. in particular the way the males in the church used a respectable front to hide nonChristian unethical behavour. Surely one of Jesus' teachings was that we shouldn't pretend to be better than we are ...what was disturbing however was the hold that the fellowship had on its members :( It's not always easy to walk away!

I didn't really get why the author chose the name Ishmael for Noah's son ... even though it's a question to discuss at the back of the book 

Journal Entry 3 by seethroughfaith at Kortteliravintola Kerttu in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Sunday, January 02, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (1/3/2011 UTC) at Kortteliravintola Kerttu in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

at first BC meet of the year in Turku: the European Capital of Culture 

Journal Entry 4 by Savotar at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Monday, January 03, 2011

This looks interesting and I love reading books about Venice. Thank you Seethroughfaith!