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In September 1710, ten-year-old Agata buried her mother. She was left with her frail grandmother and her incompetent father. Wanting Agata to be protected and educated, her grandmother entrusted her to the care of the Ospedale della Pietà — a convent, orphanage, and music school for girls. The second and third parts of the book …
This historical fiction is set during the Second World War, amid the London Blitz, told through the eyes of children and teenagers. The teenage budding love, the romance between a soldier and a war officer, and the friendships formed around the music club were all heartwarming to read. Some parts felt a little too good …
Will and Lu travel to Seville for their second honeymoon, exactly during Semana Santa (Holy Week). It’s a wonderful mix of magical realism, time travel, and doppelgängers, with vivid imagery that reminded me of the film The Grand Budapest Hotel. I could imagine myself in Seville, capturing a picture of a café painted bright yellow, …
Turning 40, apparently, in German culture is quite something. Already at the beginning of the year, my German friends and family were kindly asking how, when, and where I would celebrate my 40th runden Geburtstag. Usually, they celebrate it with a huge party. In case I organized this kind of party, they wanted to mark …
The swan song of Mario Vargas Llosa (1936–2025), Le dedico mi silencio, is a love letter to Peruvian Creole music. “A vision of Creole music as the key to defeating prejudice and opening hearts and minds.”“Society would come together in such a way that no one was beneath consideration and all were treated as worthy …
The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson is a mind-blowing, unputdownable Polynesian epic. While the book is about a specific group of people in the ancient Tongan Kingdom, exploring their beautiful culture and sometimes difficult practices, it is highly relatable to today’s world and to each individual. It is a vast book that has the universe and …
A beautifully illustrated collection of six stories by Oscar Wilde, perfect for children aged 4–11 and beyond. The six stories included are: The Selfish Giant, The Happy Prince, The Devoted Friend, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Remarkable Rocket, and The Young King. I especially enjoyed the descriptive language. It vividly brings each image to …
“We all encounter Austen differently and from the position of where and when we read her. How we read her changes as the world changes around us. And it is perhaps above all this relentless change that keeps us going back to Jane Austen. She knew that every life was a series of events – …
I had fairly high expectations for this concert, Franz Schubert: Master Storyteller by Benjamin Appl and Sholto Kynoch, which was also the opening concert of this year’s Oxford International Song Festival, for three reasons. Firstly, I had heard their wonderful performance back in May in Heidelberg, Germany. Secondly, I have been a lover of Lieder …
A very sweet bedtime story to curl up with children before falling asleep. The story begins with a gentle conversation between Little Rabbit and Mother Rabbit, starting with their admiration for the beautiful moon. Bathed in moonlight, Little Rabbit watched many night wanderers enjoying their fun and adventures, which made life as a rabbit seem …