On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.
Kate: Books are my Favourite and Best
I am currently 108th in the queue at the library to borrow Maggie O’Farrell‘s Land, this month’s starter book, so obviously I haven’t read it yet. Here’s a hint of the earlier part of the story, disclosed by Google’s little AI pal. ‘Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. The year is 1865, and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger, the task is not an easy one. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster. ‘
Maps then. I love a map within a book, and one of my favourites is that of the Hundred Acre Wood, included in AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. Drawn by Christopher Robin himself, the map includes a number of spelling and grammatical errors, such as – ‘Rabbits frends and raletions’ all of which only serve to endear Christopher Robin and his woodland pals to us even more.
Christopher Robin’s best ‘frend’ is Winnie the Pooh. So let’s go for Beartown by Frederick Backman, set in Sweden, my new obsession. But it took me fully 200 pages to get into this book. I was uninterested in this shabby little town out in the wilds of northern Sweden, and its love of hockey And then, just under half way through, I became more involved. I began to understand how the town’s position on the ice-hockey stage could make or break this community. And a drama takes place which splits, and nearly sinks it. This is an engaging story embracing the tribe mentality, and others who are outsiders not only in the hockey world, but life generally. Because life is ice-hockey in Beartown, and a single incident has the power to change the fortunes of an entire community.
Another Frederick Backman: A Man called Ove. I took against this book in the first few pages. It was obvious that the story line was going to be ‘curmudgeonly old man, widely disliked, is revealed to have a heart of gold, and after about 250 pages, everyone lives happily ever after‘. This is exactly what happened. I turned the pages readily enough, but was unconvinced by almost everyone but the cat. I didn’t believe in the friendly new neighbour. I didn’t quite believe in Ove’s wife Sonja. I wasn’t sure about his on-off (mainly off) relationship with his neighbour Rune either. But most of all, I didn’t believe that Ove would turn from irritable and irritating to everyone’s favourite grandfather in only three weeks. A decent enough beach read, but this whimsical tale was far too fey to appeal to me.
We’ll stay in Sweden. And why not? When the Cranes Fly South: Lisa Ridzén (translated by Alice Menzies) is far better value than my previous choice, though it too has as its main protagonist an elderly man. This quiet book is the story of the latter days of Bo, who sees out his days in a small village in northern Sweden. His only visitors are his four-times-a-day calls from care-workers who sum up their visits in short notes that intersperse each chapter. His busy son Hans calls sometimes too, substituting stuffing his fridge with unwanted food for time spent sitting chatting. Beyond that he has telephone contact with his only friend Ture. And contact, through conversations in his head, with his much-loved wife who is now in a care home suffering from dementia. Though his best friend of all is his elkhound Sixten, whom he can no longer take on long energetic walks. And Hans, for the dog’s wellbeing, wants Sixten re-homed. This book is about Bo’s battle, after a lifetime of sitting on feelings and never talking about them, to make himself and his own wishes known. It’s an extraordinarily moving book, bringing up feelings about our own mortality, and that of people for whom we care.
Another story about loss, a very different one is Alice Zeniter’s The Art of Losing (Translated by Frank Wynne). I was engaged in this book from start to finish. It’s the 70 year story of a family, and begins in a village in Algeria, where Ali has made good and become a figure of some importance in his family and community. The Algerian War of Independence changes all that, and forced to flee to France, they become harkis (French Algerians), despised alike by the French and Algerians who remained in the home country who remained. A life of camps and sub-standard accommodation and work awaits them. It falls to university educated Naima, Ali’s granddaughter finally to visit Algeria again. This is a story about colonisation, immigration, and how to carry on in the face of the loss of your country and cultural identity, and is both a powerful history lesson and a meditation on the difficult questions posed by the cultural upheaval of being forced to leave your home country.
Reading Zeniter’s book prompted me to read The French Intifada by Andrew Hussey. It takes a long look at the inhabitants of France who come from the former French territories of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Much of the book is devoted to France’s possession of these nations, and to the troubles leading to their final independence. It’s a horrifying and illuminating story, and one that does much to explain the disaffection of many of the Maghrebin population in France. Hussey touches on the history of those North Africans who chose to emigrate to France, and examines the very recent past, looking at recent riots and at Muslims in the French prison system. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, this is a book that is easy to read and complex issues are dealt with clearly. A compelling and disturbing read.
Goodness. That’s ending on a serious note. But perhaps it was our starting point too? The first: the aftermath of the Great Famine. The last: the aftermath of war. Next month (September 5, 2026), we’re invited to start with our book group’s current selection, or if not in a book group, to start with the book that we’re currently reading. Well, I AM in a book group, so let’s see where I’ll start. Why not join in too?
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
Of your books, the Zeniter most jumps out at me as something I would find interesting.
I enjoyed your chain. I nearly went with maps myself, but the book I really wanted to start with is one I’ve only just read, and haven’t posted on yet, and my “rule” is I link to books I have posts for. I kept trying to find another map book but couldn’t find a relevant one. Oh, I love the cover of When the cranes fly south though the connection between the dog on the cover and the idea of cranes would mystify anyone coming across the book?
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You set yourself exacting standards when it comes to Degrees! You’re right, the cover of WtCFS is a little intriguing. It just made me want to read it even more to see what the story was.
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All of life, as they say, Margaret. We have quite a lot of immigrants from the colonies too, and I don’t really know how they feel about life here. It’s so scary how everything you’ve worked for can just be swept away and you have to start rebuilding your life, if you can. I can’t help contrasting my own situation as a voluntary immigrant. It’s a loaded subject these days. Perhaps I’ll stick with Winnie the Pooh xx
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Yes, even voluntary immigration has difficult issues, so how much more so for those forced to leave their country of origin. I remember a French woman saying to me once ‘Oh, we like people like YOU’ (white, she meant). It’s just ‘les Arabes’ – (people from the former French colonies in North Africa, she meant). The ones stuck doing all the menial jobs then …
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Some things don’t change… xx
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Yeah, that did take a dark turn. No matter. Sorry you didn’t like Ove (but by the way, the story takes place over much more than a few weeks, more like a few years).
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Ooops, I’d forgotten that. I think I was too irritated to notice! I remember the book divided our book group in a quite extreme way.
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Understandable.
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I loved your first link! The Zenter/Hussey links seem particularly appropriate today given the news over the past couple of days.
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Indeed. Both book, in their different ways, discuss compassionately aspects of migration issues and show us what those who leave their country of birth may have to grapple with.
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Land is on my list too, but I’m waiting for the paperback.
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That’s usually my plan too. I rarely buy hard back novels.
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Oh never – and rarely hard copy at all unless second hand. Once a novel is in pbk though it’s much cheaper to download.
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Nah, don’t do downloading books. I have to have the Real Thing in my hands!
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I like an ebook because if I forget something or want to read it again I can search it instead of randomly flicking. Also,space saving!
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I thought The Art of Losing was an excellent book too.
I also like maps, and I think some books really need them. I have some lovely books about them: Literary Wonderlands by Laura Miller, and The Writer’s Map by Huw Lewis Jones.
One of the activities I used to do with little kids in my classes was to get them to ‘map’ their weekend. They really enjoyed this as a break from the usual writing exercise about ‘my weekend’!
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You sound an inspiring teacher! Both the books you mentio have been vaguely on my radar. Time to budge them up into more obvious view perhaps. Thanks.
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Your Winnie the Pooh looks rather posh with that map…mine is a 1920 very plain publlication! when the Cranes fly south and the art of losing look the most likely for me to Read.
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Both are highly recommended. The WtP is not mine. My copy has sadly long disappeared.
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I am a sentimental soul, and still have my mother’s 21st edition hardback WTP!
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Those last two books look very interesting
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I think that our French Connection makes them doubly interesting.
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Absolutely!
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I love the Winnie the Pooh map – that’s a great first link! I haven’t read any of the other books in your chain, although I’ve at least heard of the two Frederick Backman books.
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That’s the trouble with 6 Degrees. It puts so very many books in front of us!
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I’d forgotten about the maps in Winnie the Pooh. Today has been a A.A. Milne Day, as I bought a copy of When We Were Very Young at a second hand book sale this morning for fifty cents. Someone in the past 60 years has coloured in all of the book’s illustrations bright blue, which adds to the charm!
The photos you’ve paired with your books are wonderful, as usual. The house in the rocks looking down to the sea is lovely.
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Thnaks Rose. What a lucky book-find! The house you refer to was spotted on our recent trip to Sweden. It looks idyllic, doesn’t it?
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I haven’t read A Man Called Ove but I enjoyed the film adaptation. The Tom Hanks remake was less convincing. I was poised to recommend When The Cranes Fly South and then it was your next link!
I’ve added The Art of Losing to my wishlist.
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I didn’t realise that there’d been a Film of the Book. I’m never a fan of Tom Hanks though. The Art of Losing I think will appeal to you.
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I don’t mind Hanks, but I thought he was unconvincing in A Man Called Otto (as it was renamed for Anglophone audiences). The original Swedish adaptation is better. Both are films to stumble on while channel surfing, I’d say.
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When the Cranes Fly South keeps appearing on my radar and the title appeals. But now I know what it’s about I really have to read it. A thought-provoking chain, Margaret.
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Thnks Sandra. I’d be surprised if you didn’t like WtCFS.
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What fun to start with the Winnie-the-Pooh map. Christopher Robin has been on my mind, recently, because we’re coming up on the 100th anniversary of the publication of the book (14 October 1926) and I want to re-read it for the occasion.
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What an excellent idea! I’ll join you! Thanks.
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What an eclectic list from Pooh to Algerian immigrants. When the Cranes Fly South interests me the most, after Pooh of course. 😊
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It’s definitely worth reading. And WtP of course!
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Apart from Winnie the Pooh they all sound a bit too serious and sad for me.
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Hmm. Yes, perhaps. Stick with WtP this month!
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Beartown reminded me so much of the very heated rivalries here in the USA between high schools in football and basketball–and in a few places, hockey. My kids were newly done wtih high school when I read it and it was very vivid to me. I loved Ove and both the Sweedish and the American film versions. But I have read plenty of books that everyone on Earth seemed to love and i didn’t so I’m fine with you not liking it. The book with the Elkhound I couldn’t have read. Very interesting selections!
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Thanks for forgiving me for not liking favourites of yours. Book group can be revealing that way. There are a couple of people there who generally feel as I do – for good or bad – about our monthly book. It’s quite discombobulating if they have quite a different opinion..
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