The Paris Secret Author, Natasha Lester Shares her Reading Escape List

Let’s Escape to Another World …

 Is there anyone among us who doesn’t feel like escaping this world momentarily and dipping into another time and place where COVID-19 doesn’t exist? If you’d like a brief and beautiful distraction from reality, then I recommend losing yourself in the pages of any of these historical novels, which are guaranteed to sweep you away. So, stay safe and well-read with these suggestions as #AustraliaReadsAtHome during this challenging time.

 Gulliver’s Wife by Lauren Chater: What a fabulous idea for a book! Lauren cleverly brings Mary Gulliver, the long-suffering wife of story-hero Gulliver, to life and, in doing so, tackles everything from eighteenth century midwifery to the joys and difficulties of mother-daughter relationships.

 The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durant by Kayte Nunn: There’s nothing I enjoy reading more than a dual timeline novel and Kayte has a knack for weaving both different time periods and sets of characters into a compelling story. And, as someone who loves the Cornish coast, I adored immersing myself in the incredibly atmospheric Isles of Sicily as the book unfolded.

 Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer: Kelly’s books always keep me up late into the night – it’s impossible to put them down once you start reading. I love the way she tackles issues head-on, forcing you to ask questions of yourself. And the treatment of women in the 1950s as they relinquished their wartime independence is a special interest of mine and forms a very important part of this book.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton: I’d probably read anything Kate Morton wrote and this is just the book to have with you while you’re social-distancing. It’s lovely and long, with an intricate storyline that will make you forget everything except the cast of characters and their stories, all of which are connected in intriguing ways to an English mansion.

The Blue Rose by Kate Forsyth: Looking at this list, it seems important that, if you want to be a historical novelist, you should make sure your first name is Kate or that it starts with the letter “K”! France is one of my favourite countries to travel to in fiction and this setting, combined with the fascinating fable of the blue rose, is just what the doctor ordered.