Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

Kidnapped 

by

Robert Louis Stevenson

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Scotland I wanted to expose myself to some classic Scottish literature.  An obvious choice was Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped.  I listed to it on audio and the narrator did a marvelous job.  Although it is considered a children's book  it would be for upper elementary or middle school aged kids and this grandma loved it!  The book is exciting and in the manner typical of literature  from the 1800s it weaves in good choices and the higher ground when it comes to morals throughout.  I am surprised I have reached my mid 60s without having experienced this book and I highly recommend it to people of all ages.  It is an excellent book.  If you click on the book title above it will take you to a free online version.  And if you click on the author's name it will take you to a biography about him.  The video below is a preview of the Masterpiece Theater 2005 recreation.  There have been several movies made of the story over the years.  This short novel is great fun and I highly recommend it.  It would be a good one to read aloud to one's kids one chapter at a time at bedtime when they are grade school age.  If you do not experience this story, either by reading it or watching one of the movies,  you are missing out.  

The Memory Of Music by Olive Collins

 

The Memory Of Music

by

Olive Collins

This afternoon I finished listening to Olive Collins' third book (for me) although it was the first  one she wrote.  Titled The Memory Of Music, it is about a family who lives in Dublin during the unrest of the the 1916 uprising and the 1922 civil war.  Men who fought together in 1916 found themselves on opposite sides in 1922.  Comrades became enemies.  The author does an excellent job of portraying how the political atmosphere at the time divided families and friends.  Another theme of the book is how war and violence breaks families for generations.  Women are at the heart of the book which is like a mystery as it is necessary to figure out several murders and deaths.  There is romance at the center of the story with deceit and betrayal.  This book held my interest and I enjoyed it.  In fact I recommend all three of this author's books.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the videos that follow.