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Thursday 15 May 2008

Iris and Ruby - Rosie Thomas


I really enjoyed this book. It really is almost two stories interwoven together. One is the burgeoning relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, the other slips back in time to Iris' experiences in the Second World War in Cairo.
Set in Cairo this book deftly sets the scene, we visit all the major sites and there is plenty of local colour too. Ruby has run away from home and landed in Iris' doorstep. As the plot unfolds we learn more about their characters and their reasons for being who they are.
Rosie Thomas' skill is in her characterisation, her subtle and gentle way of leading us through so that if we are not careful we miss how the characters change through their interaction as time moves on. As this is a great cross generational book I would have thought that there would be enough here for a book club to discuss.

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