kitchen table with shelves oak makeover prep drawer.
gold glass console table antique iron hallway entryway foyer small and.
industrial kitchen stools metal breakfast bar stool with wood rustic.
industrial style coffee table inch rectangle lift top by living set.
conair infiniti pro hair dryer recall model colour may vary.
slate coffee tables table home tile set big lots top and end.
tabletop food warmer heated table uncapping cover for reinforced philips hostess.
ash coffee table this mid century manufactured by lane furniture is iconic for its two black uk.
outdoor fountain covers protecting your water from winter elements extra large.


text:
Babel plugin for `styled-components`. This is **not necessary at all to use `styled-components`**, it just adds some nice features to enhance the experience.

## Usage

**THIS ISN'T PUBLISHED YET, WIP**

```
npm install --save-dev babel-plugin-styled-components-selector
```

Then in your babel configuration (probably `.babelrc`):

```JSON
{
  "plugins": ["styled-components-selector"]
}
```

## Features

### Adds CSS component selector support for `styled-components`

The es6 template literal allows you to use the full power of css. But there is no css selector for styled-components.

You can work around this problem, but you will either:

- break component encapsulation by using html tag/class selectors in the parent component
- or have to introduce a bunch of intermediate styled-components, even for minimal adjustments like setting a margin

This babel plugin generates a css selector on all styled-components components. This allows you to use them as normal css selectors as shown in the following examples without breaking encapsulation:

```JS
const Button = styled.button`
  color: black;
`;
const Container = styled.div`
  > ${Button} {
    color: green;
  }
`;
```

Works with composition:

```JS
const Button = styled.button`
  color: black;
`;

const PrimaryButton = styled(Button)`
  font-size: 2rem;
`;

const Container = styled.div`
  > ${PrimaryButton} {
    color: green;
  }
`;
```

Specific composition hierarchy selectors:

```JS
const Button = styled.button`
  color: black;
`;

const PrimaryButton = styled(Button)`
  font-size: 2rem;
`;

const Container = styled.div`
  > ${Button} {
    color: green;
  }
  > ${PrimaryButton} {
    color: red;
  }
`;
```

Deeply nested:

```JS
const Icon = styled.img`
  max-width: 100%;
  height: auto;
  display: block;
`

const IconButton = styled.div`
  padding: 1rem;
`;

const Container = styled.div`
  > ${IconButton} {
    color: green;
    > ${Icon} {
      border: 2px;
    }
  }
`;
```

## Credits & Inspiration

[styled-components](https://styled-components.com/) for bringing css and react components closer together in a sane way

[babel-plugin-styled-components](https://github.com/styled-components/babel-plugin-styled-components) took parts of your code and adjusted them to my needs

[murmurhash-js](http://github.com/garycourt/murmurhash-js) copied your hashing function

## License

Licensed under the MIT License, Copyright © 2016 Jan Zimmek.

See [LICENSE.md](./LICENSE.md) for more information.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


interactions between AppA and PpsR.!
The proteins in our regulatory system constitute a network of intermingling elements whose behavior can be narrow into seven reactions. Primarily in this part of the modeling we focused on the PpsR and AppA anti-repressor/repressor system and chose to model it using a system of ordinary differential equations.The system's repressive activity varies with the redox (O2) state of the cell and Light intensity and thus we wondered how exactly these two variables affect the overall repressive level of PpsR over the expression of PS genes.
To do this we based ourselves on a previous work that had attempted to study this same regulatory system. [Pandey et al, 2011]. Therefore the mathematical model we developed is based on the ODEs and kinetic parameters outlined there.
1. By reducing a disulfide bond in PpsR.
2. By a blue-light-dependent sequestration of PpsR proteins into transcriptionally inactive complexes.
At first stage, the reduced form of AppA (A-) reduces a disulfide bond in oxidized PpsR (P4+), which occurs independently of the light conditions.The molecular mechanism of this two-electron transfer is not yet clear.
Then at the second level of regulation, the reduced form of AppA can form a complex with reduced PpsR. During the complex formation, one AppA molecule is associated with two PpsR monomers corresponding to half of a PpsR molecule, which exists as a stable tetramer in solution.
However there is a point were complex formation is inhibited by high intensities of blue- light irradiation (LI ¼ 900mmol/m2s). A subsequent study found that AppA responds to blue light over several orders of magnitude down to 0.2 mmol/m2s.
Other experiments indicate that light absorption induces a structural change in the BLUF domain of AppA, which results in interactions with its C-terminal part, thereby causing the dissociation of PpsR.
Later on we reduced this set of ODEs into seven basic reactions, to simplify the code written in Mathematica.
This is the code written in Mathematica.
In addition to contacting the responsible authors and discussing this model, we chose to improve it based on recent publications and preliminary experimental results i.e. we introduced a more subtle way light and oxygen affects the protein concentration dynamic, which is exactly what we were interested in understanding better.
Figure1. Steady state behavior of reduced PpsR (P4+), oxidized PpsR (P4-) and the AppA-PpsR complex as a function of oxygen concentration and light irradiance.
If we assumed that the reduction of PpsR by AppA in Equation 1.
We obtain a fifth order polynomial equation that admits at most five real roots, corresponding to five possible stationary states. (Graphics above).
For them to be biologically meaningful we require that they fall within the interval [0,1]. Using our differential equations system we calculated protein concentrations at stable steady states and assumed this to be a natural "resting", or homeostatic, state given a set of parameters, oxygen and light intensities. As such, this gave us a steady state total repressive force, in essence, as a function of oxygen tension and light intensity. This is because PpsR/AppA's total repressive strength is a function of the concentrations of both its oxidative and reduced state.
Since this was all done in Mathematica, we were also able to generate an interactive graphical representation of the repressive strength over a range of conditions.
This is how it will look like when you run the program.
With this model, we can make predictions in sillico as to how the organism will react to a given environmental surrounding and then go back to the lab and validate that prediction. Also, since we have are able to manipulate the values of the parameters in an easy and intuitive way, we can explore the parameter space and visually observe the change in the concentration curves, which can be of interest to, not only us, but other people that might not be interested in all the math behind interphase.
This parameter tweaking allows us to compare experimental data against sillico predictions; the only difference is that if we focus on the parameters, this can actually give us hints respect to the still-blurred nature of Protein-Protein and Protein-Environment mechanisms that exist in this extremely versatile cell.


text:
TARO > Finding Aid
Repository Browse List
Print Version | Raw XML File (6k)
Accessing Materials Described Here
Description of Series
A Guide to the Swan Land and Cattle Company Stockholders' Reports, 1926-1934
Creator: Swan Land and Cattle Company
Creator: Swan Company (Chugwater, Wy.)
Title: Swan Land and Cattle Company stockholders' reports
Abstract: The Swan Land and Cattle Company Stockholders' Reports, 1926-1934, comprise one Photostat letter and nine printed annual stockholders' reports for the American board of the Swan Land and Cattle Company and its successor, the Swan Company, in Chugwater, Wyoming.
Extent: 1/2 in.
Language: Materials are written in English.
Repository: Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin
Organized in the United Kingdom in 1883, the Swan Land and Cattle Company invested in the trade of land, sheep, cattle, and horses in the western United States, headquartering its American office in Chugwater, Wyoming. In 1926, the American board of directors abandoned the British charter and established the Swan Company, also headquartered in Chugwater, but chartered under the laws of the state of Delaware. The new company focused on sheep breeding and the production of wool, primarily purchasing land for grazing, cattle for milk, and horses for sheepherding. Officers of the company included John Clay, president; Frank H. Connor, vice president, secretary, and treasurer; and Curtis Templin, manager.
The Swan Land and Cattle Company Stockholders' Reports, 1926-1934, comprise one Photostat letter and nine printed annual stockholders' reports for the American board of the Swan Land and Cattle Company and its successor, the Swan Company, in Chugwater, Wyoming. Each annual report, 1926-1933, itemizes the company's profits and losses; the worth of its property, assets, stocks, and bonds; the number of sheep, cattle, and horses bought and sold; the acres of land purchased for grazing; and the weight of wool produced. Additionally, a 1934 letter from Curtis Templin, manager of the Swan Company, to J. Evetts Haley, historian at the University of Texas, briefly describes the reports and the history of company.
This collection is open for research use.
Templin, Curtis.
Swan Company (Chugwater, Wy.) -- Archives.
Swan Land and Cattle Company -- Archives.
Sheepherding -- Wyoming.
Ranches -- Wyoming.
Herders -- Wyoming.
Chugwater (Wy.) -- History -- 20th century.
Swan Land and Cattle Company Stockholders' Reports, 1926-1934, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center's "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project," 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers
2G450 Records, 1926-1934

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 89-year-old director Agnès Varda, known for her films like Cleo from 5 to 7 and Le Bonheur, will be the first woman director to get an honorary Oscar at this year's Academy Awards.
While most people might associate French New Wave cinema with directors like Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, and their freshman year college boyfriend who possessed an intense affinity for the Criterion Collection, director Agnès Varda was a pioneering director in the movement. Her work, which was that of a dedicated, self-trained auteur who approached making movies like writing, actually predated a lot of the men who would then become synonymous with the genre.
The move to nominate Varda for an honorary Oscar comes at a time when the Academy is taking a good, long look at the diversity of its members and nominations. New academy president John Bailey certainly seems like he's here to change things, telling the press that "hiring minorities and women" is crucial. And just a few months ago the Academy invited 774 new members, a class that was 39 percent female.


text:
Category: Drama
Finding Eadie by Caroline Beecham
On July 19, 2020 July 19, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Historical Fiction3 Comments
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (Trade Paperback – 2 July 2020)
Series: Standalone
Acclaimed Australian author Caroline Beecham is back with another moving and compelling World War II historical drama with Finding Eadie.
London, 1943. As the war rages across the world, there is a demand for new books to not only distract the public from the grim realities of the war but to also entertain the troops as they fight. However, despite this increased need for books, the London branch of the Partridge Press publishing house is struggling due to wartime restrictions on resources and the damage done to their former offices. In order to survive, Partridge Press need a new bestseller and young staff member, Alice Cotton, has an idea for a book that will both appeal to the public and help lift their spirits. But before work can begin on this project, Alice suddenly leaves.
Alice's absence is due to her secret pregnancy to an unnamed father. Determined to keep the baby, Eadie, Alice comes up with a plan to give birth in secret and then raise the baby with her mother, pretending it is a wartime orphan. However, Alice is unprepared for the ultimate betrayal by her mother, who steals the baby from her and gives it away in order to save her daughter's reputation. Devastated, Alice searches for her daughter, and soon finds out that her mother gave the baby to baby farmers, people who make a semi-legal profit by taking unwanted babies and selling them to the highest bidder. Desperate to get Eadie back no matter the cost, Alice returns to Partridge Press and uses her book as a cover to get more information on the baby farmers. At the same time, she finds solace in an American, Theo Booth, who has been sent from the American office of Partridge to help salvage the failing British office. Can Alice find her daughter before it is too late, or will she lose Eadie forever?
Beecham is a talented and impressive author who is making a real impact on the historical drama scene due to her touching storylines that focus on fascinating aspects of the World War II experience. For example, her 2016 debut novel, Maggie's Kitchen, focused on the struggles of opening a restaurant during the blitz, while her second novel, 2018's Eleanor's Secret focused on a young woman who was employed by the War Artist Advisory Committee. Finding Eadie is another powerful war drama that focuses on some intriguing aspects of the war.
At the centre of this book is an excellent dramatic storyline that focuses on two people trying to do their best in difficult circumstances. This story employs two separate point-of-view characters, Alice Cotton and Theo Booth, each of whom have their own intriguing and dramatic storylines. While Theo's narrative of a young, conflicted, book-loving man who finds his true calling in war-torn London is very enjoyable, I really have to highlight the excellent story surrounding the character of Alice. At the start of the book, Alice has her baby, the titular Eadie, stolen from her by her mother and she spends the rest of the novel trying to find her. This is an incredibly powerful and emotional story thread which I found to be extremely moving. Beecham does an incredible job portraying Alice's pain and distress throughout the course of the novel and the resultant raw emotion is heartbreaking and mesmerising in equal measures. This search for Eadie has a number of notable elements to it, including emotional confrontations between Alice and her mother, the continued strain impacting the protagonist the longer she is separated from Eadie, a compelling investigative narrative, and a dangerous dive into London's criminal underbelly. The reader gets really drawn into the story as a result, as they eagerly wait to see if Alice will get a happy ending or if she will become another victim of the tragic circumstances surrounding the war.
On top of this compelling and dramatic storyline there is also a well-written, if somewhat understated, romantic angle between Alice and Theo. While it is quite obvious that the two are going to end up together (it is a historical drama with a male and female as the main characters, of course they are going to end up together), Beecham builds it up rather well, and while there are significant obstacles to their romance, such as Theo's engagement to another woman and the fact that Alice is rightly more concerned with finding her baby, the two slowly realise their feelings for each other. Overall, the entire story comes together extremely well, and I found myself quite drawn to this excellent narrative which allowed me to read this book in remarkably short order.
While this book has an amazing story, I also really enjoyed Beecham's examination of certain unique aspects of life during the war, which proves to be rather fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the publishing world during the war, and this goes on to become a major and compelling part of the book's plot. Beecham does a fantastic job highlighting what was going on during the publishing industry during the period in both England and America. This includes an impressive deep dive into the industry, exploring the importance of books during the period, the troubles involved with publishing during a war such as the lack of supplies, as well as also examining the sort of books that were popular at the time. I absolutely loved all this amazing detail about publishing during the war, and it was an outstanding highlight of the book. I also liked how well it tied into the rest of the book's narrative as their love of books was not only a key element of both Alice and Theo's personal storylines but also a major part of the characters, and it was something that made both of them more relatable and likeable to the reader, ensuring that they are more emotionally invested in the story.
In addition to the focus on the publishing world Beecham also explores other intriguing aspects of London during the war. Probably the most important one relating to the plot was the shocking practice of baby farming, where babies were bought and sold for profit. This was a remarkably horrifying aspect of history that I wasn't too familiar with, but Beecham does a great job explaining it throughout her story, going into the history, the impacts, the surrounding social issues and the sort of the people that were involved. While most aspects of this are a tad disturbing, especially as it is based on some true historical stories, I found this entire inclusion to be really fascinating and it proved to be a compelling story element. I also quite liked Beecham's examination of the London Zoo and how it survived during the war, and it was intriguing to see this small bubble of normality amongst the chaos of the blitz and the rest of the story. All of these incredible historical elements were really interesting parts of Finding Eadie's story, and I had an amazing time learning more about London life during the war.
Finding Eadie by Caroline Beecham is a great and compelling historical drama that proved to be an excellent read. Containing a strong, emotional charged story, and featuring a clever look at some unique historical elements, this is a very easy book to enjoy which is worth checking out.
The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat
On June 3, 2020 June 3, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Historical Fiction3 Comments
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (Trade Paperback – 28 April 2020)
Love, war, endurance. Debuting author Jenny Lecoat presents an impressive and compelling historical drama with The Viennese Girl, a fantastic read based on a remarkable true story.
June 1940. The inhabitants of the Channel Island of Jersey can only watch as the German army invades and takes complete control of their island without any opposition. Abandoned by the British and forced to fend for themselves, the people of Jersey must get ready to endure a lengthy occupation that will last to the very end of the war.
For young Jewish girl Hedy Bercu this is a nightmare situation. Having already successfully fled from the Nazis when they invaded her home of Vienna, Hedy once again finds herself trapped and persecuted, only this time she has nowhere to escape to. Forced to do everything she can to survive, Hedy tries to hide her true identity and even accepts a job as a translator in the German headquarters. However, Hedy is not content to simply sit back and let the Nazis win without a fight, and she begins to engage in several small acts of resistance which bring her to the attention of a German lieutenant, Kurt Neumann.
Kurt finds himself instantly smitten by the mysterious Hedy, and he attempts to pursue a relationship with her, without knowing about her tragic past. But when Hedy's attempts at sabotage are discovered, her Jewish heritage is revealed to all and she becomes the most sought-after fugitive on the island. Can Hedy rely on her friends and Kurt to survive, and how will she escape detection from the Nazis on their most isolated and heavily occupied territory?
The Viennese Girl is a great debut novel from television writer Jenny Lecoat, which turned about to be quite an intriguing historical drama that I am really glad that I checked out. A very important thing to know about this novel is that it is actually based on a true story of the Jersey occupation. The main characters contained within this story are all real people, and their tale has been mostly unknown until a recent publication by Dr Gilly Carr in the Journal of Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Lecoat provides an exquisite novelisation of these historical events within The Viennese Girl and turns it powerful and captivating narrative of romance and resistance that follows two real-life star-crossed lovers, Hedy and Kurt, as they attempt to survive a terrible situation. The story is shown from the dual perspectives of Hedy and Kurt, whose different viewpoints show off various aspects of the German occupation of Jersey. This book makes great use of a combination of a dramatic and tension filled storyline, fantastic portrayals of real-life characters, a distinctive historical setting and a compelling romance to make for an amazing read.
The lives of and the relationship between the two main characters, Hedy and Kurt, forms an excellent centre to this book. Both are intriguing characters in their own right. For example, Hedy is a Jewish girl doing everything she can to survive after being trapped by the Nazis a second time. She is rightly bitter and terrified about the entire situation, but brave enough to fight back against the Germans with small acts of sabotage. Naturally, the parts of the book told from Hedy's point of view are filled with all manner of tension as she is terrified of being taken away by the Nazis, a feeling that only intensifies as the book proceeds. There is also a prevailing sense of loneliness and despair brought on by her situation, the lack of people on Jersey who she can trust and the knowledge of what has happened to her Jewish friends and family back home. Kurt, on the other hand, is a reluctant member of the German army who has become disenfranchised with his more radical Nazi colleagues. He has some rather surprising views for a German officer, and a distinct dislike for many of the people he serves with, and there is a bit of sadness in him as he watches the war consume Jersey. This, and the instant attraction he feels for Hedy, compels him to help her without really knowing anything about her. Kurt then goes to some amazing lengths to help save Hedy in the future once he knows the full detail of her history and manages to outthink some determined opponents.
The author makes sure to spend time exploring both of these characters through the course of the occupation, as well as examining their history, feelings and intentions. Despite all the inherently problematic issues that would occur with such a romance, the two fall in love and start a dedicated relationship. Their romance is an essential part of the story, and I think that Lecoat did a wonderful job showing how such a romance could occur, as well as exploring all the drama that resulted. I liked how the romance managed to help make each of them better, and it healed certain holes in their hearts and minds. I really enjoyed this romance, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised after finishing this book to find that Kurt was a real person who really did fall in love with and help Hedy (due to the unlikely situation, I had assumed that he was either a fictional character or an embellished version of someone). The knowledge that this romance actually happened really enhanced Lecoat's incredible story for me, and I am rather glad to have seen how it unfolded.
In addition to Hedy and Kurt, I also have to highlight the character of Dorothea Weber (née Le Brocq), who was also a real person featured heavily in Dr Carr's article. Dorothea was the wife of Hedy's best friend and fellow refugee Anton, who would eventually become Hedy's close companion and saviour after she hides Hedy in her house for the later years of the occupation. Dorothea was a rather complex character who has a rather interesting act within this novel, especially when it comes to her relationship with Hedy. For the first half of the book, Hedy sees Dorothea as an interloper and distraction to her friendship with Anton and is a bit annoyed by the attention she gets, her apparent helplessness and obsessions with American films and actresses. However, as the war progresses and Anton is conscripted into the German army, their relationship grows, especially as both of them face their own form of persecution. While Hedy is oppressed for her Jewish heritage, Dorothea faces ostracism from her friends and family for marrying an Austrian, especially one who ends up in the German army, and is labelled a Jerrybag (a derogative term for Jersey girls who were sleeping with the enemy). While she comes across as extremely naïve at the start of the book, Dorothea really grows as a character throughout the book, and continually shows off her surprising inner strength by standing up to people and not hesitating to take Hedy in and hide her from the Germans, despite the obvious risks. I really enjoyed learning about Dorothea's story, and she became a fantastic part of this book, and it was rather gratifying to learn how the real Dorothea has been deservedly honoured by both the Jewish community and Britain in recent years.
I also really enjoyed learning more about the German occupation of Jersey during the Second World War. This was honestly a topic that I knew very little about, but which proves to be a rather fascinating backdrop to this character driven story. Lecoat, a Jersey native, does a fantastic job showcasing all the details of this invasion, and follows the entirety of the occupation in her story, right up until the end of World War II (the occupiers were some of the last German forces to surrender). The author captures a number of key moments from the occupation in the story while also including several historical figures in her narrative. I also liked how she endeavoured to highlight what day to day life for the inhabitants of Jersey would have been like with the Germans there, and it was interesting to see her interpretations of the islander's attitudes, how they dealt with the Germans and how desperate the situation got at times throughout the occupation. This proved to be a really interesting and distinctive element to the novel, and I quite enjoyed learning more about this part of World War II that is often overlooked in other historical fiction novels.
Overall, The Viennese Girl is a superb and memorable historical drama novel that is very much worth checking out. Lecoat hit it out of the park with her debut novel, and I was absolutely enthralled by her amazing narrative of courage, survival and love in the most unlikely of circumstances. This was a really impressive novel, and it's story is going to stick with me for a very long time.
Canberra Weekly Review – Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held
On May 17, 2020 June 4, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Canberra Weekly Column, Drama, Historical FictionLeave a comment
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 14 May 2020
The review can also be viewed on the Canberra Weekly website.
Where Fortune Lies by Mary-Anne O'Connor
On April 6, 2020 April 6, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Drama, Historical Fiction1 Comment
Publisher: HQ Fiction (Trade Paperback – 23 March 2020)
From bestselling Australian author Mary-Anne O'Connor comes another fun and intriguing Australian historical drama, Where Fortune Lies, which tells a multi-layered story of people seeking their fortunes in colonial Australia.
1879, Ireland. Anne Brown is a beaten-down young lady, hoping to escape the harsh life of poverty and misery she sees the rest of the women in her family experience. After a particularly cruel night which sees the one good thing in her life taken away from her, Anne flees her hometown, hoping to make a new life for herself in far-flung Australia.
Several months later in London, young gentleman Will Worthington and his sister Mari are shocked to discover that their recently deceased father has changed his will. Instead of the modest inheritance they were expecting, they find that all his money has been left to a mysterious pregnant painted lady who intends to resettle in Australia. With their social standing in London destroyed, Will and Mari, along with Will's loyal best friend, artist Charlie Turner, follow their father's mistress to Australia to seek their fortunes.
Upon their arrival in Melbourne, Will Mari and Charlie quickly befriend local businessman Tom McIntosh and his beautiful daughter, Alice, who Will falls in love with. While Will and Mari enjoy the opportunities afforded to them in Melbourne, Charlie spends time in the Victorian Alps with Alice's brothers, Harry and Richie, and their wild group of friends, who show him how to live the rough colonial life. While there, Charlie finds his artistic inspiration through his work with the McIntosh boys and their wild horses, as well as his love for a mysterious exotic dancer. However, danger lies on the horizon, as Harry and Richie have been covertly engaging in the deadly trade of bushranging. Soon the fates of all these young people will hang in the balance, as tough choices, dangerous loyalties and harsh heartbreaks will impact them all.
Where Fortune Lies is another fantastic read from O'Connor, who has written some exceptional historical dramas in her five-year career. I read my first Mary-Anne O'Connor book last year, In a Great Southern Land, which told an excellent story about a group of people coming to Australia in the 1850's to participate in the gold rush and subsequent uprising at the Eureka Stockade. I quite enjoyed In a Great Southern Land and I was rather pleased that my review of it was quoted on the back of the copy of Where Fortune Lies that I received. This latest novel follows a similar concept to O'Connor's last book, with a diverse group of characters journeying to opportunity-rich Australia in order to seek a better life, and O'Connor is once again able to weave together a rich and compelling story of love, family drama and action in the Australian wilds, and I quite enjoyed the fun blend of story elements that the author was able to come up with.
Where Fortune Lies contains a strong character-based story that follows the lives and adventures of several characters who are drawn together by fate, love and family. O'Connor does a wonderful job of introducing these key point-of-view characters, whose story the reader finds themselves getting quite attached to. I really enjoyed the way that the author spaced out the various character threads, taking the time to explore the lives of each of the separate characters. While some of the character arcs do cross over quite a bit (for example, Charlie Turner directly interacts with all the other major characters and serves as a major bridging character), other characters are kept relatively separate from each other, with only a few scenes together. However, these characters arcs still have some subtle interactions, with their actions indirectly impacting other characters' lives, or the two characters meet or discuss each other without realising who the other person really is. I liked the method of storytelling, as it allowed the reader to get to know each character individually and see the various struggles and difficulties that they are facing, as well as how they overcome them and evolve as people. I really enjoyed each of the character arcs that O'Connor explored, and I think that all of them came to a satisfying conclusion, especially as the various threads combine together at the end of the book with all the main characters finding their final fates. Each of these character-driven storylines had a good blend of adventure, adversity, romance and drama, which I think came together extremely well as an overall narrative.
I really liked the way that O'Connor once again dived back into Australia's past, this time looking at the turbulent 1870s, and presenting the reader with another view of the country's iconic colonial history. Where Fortune Lies contains some fantastic examination of various parts of old-school Victoria, including the busting metropolis of Melbourne, and it was interesting to see O'Connor's depiction of the crossing to Australia and the things that immigrants back in this period would have experienced. Most of the story, however, takes place in the rugged wilds of outback Australia, particularly in the wilderness and small towns of the Victorian Alps. O'Connor presents a fascinating exploration of these communities, and I really enjoyed her depictions of people capturing the wild horses a la The Man from Snowy River. However, the highlight of this jaunt back into history has to be the author's focus on the bushrangers, the dangerous highwaymen who stalked the Australian outback. A good part of the book's plot revolves around some of the characters getting involved in bushranging out of desperation or greed, and it was rather intriguing to see how society perceived these criminals. There are a number of references to real-life bushrangers, such as the Kelly Gang and Captain Thunderbolt, and I really enjoyed the parts of the book that focused on this exciting part of Australia's history. All of this serves as an incredible background to this fun story, and I look forward to seeing what amazing part of Australia's past O'Connor will explore in her next book.
Where Fortune Lies is another terrific Australian historical drama from O'Connor, who once again combines a captivating, character-driven narrative with an excellent depiction of Australia's rich and vibrant history. This turned out to be an elegant and enjoyable read that features amazing romantic and dramatic plots, as well as an intriguing dive into the infamous bushrangers of Victoria. A fantastic new novel that once again sees O'Connor continues to shine as one of the most talented authors of Australian historical dramas.
Guest Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
On December 31, 2019 December 31, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Five-Star Books, Guest Review1 Comment
In her latest guest review, the Unseen Library's editor, Alex, checks out one of the biggest releases of the year, and also sets herself up to do some more reviews for the blog in the future.
Publisher: Chatto & Windus (Hardcover – 10 September 2019)
Series: The Handmaid's Tale – Book 2
Unlike the Unseen Librarian himself, who seems to have no problem zipping through several books a week, I tend to buy books faster than I read them. I was very pleased, and not at all surprised, to find there's a phrase for this in Japanese: tsundoku, meaning one who acquires books with every intention of reading them, but who never gets around to it. Well, it's high time that I try to kick this habit and delve into my shelf of unread books, beginning with The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.
We received a copy of The Testaments way back in September 2019, before the honeymoon hiatus, but unfortunately the large, heavy hardback wouldn't have fared well in my suitcase, so although I was keen to read it I was forced to leave it behind. Unfortunately several other distractions (including Eoin Colfer's The Fowl Twins) meant it wasn't until the post-Christmas calm that I took the time to finish it off, but I am so glad that I did, because this is a first-rate book that didn't deserve to wait so long for my attention.
The Handmaid's Tale reported the experiences of Offred, a Handmaid to a powerful Commander in the post-revolutionary United States, the totalitarian Republic of Gilead. The Testaments picks up the story several years later, and features accounts of three women and their own struggles for survival in Gilead. I won't go into detail about the plot of the book (I'm sure reviewers with better time management skills have beaten me to it), only to say that it was incredibly engaging and suspenseful. Those who enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale will love to see how the world has changed over the years.
I was absolutely thrilled by all of the world-building in The Testaments. The new regime of Gilead is fascinating, but in The Handmaid's Tale details are limited to what Offred chooses to share in her narrative, which itself is limited by what Offred knows, given the sheltered and isolated life she is forced to live as a Handmaid. The Testaments, on the other hand, with its multiple narrators, presents a far broader view of life in Gilead. The first narrator is an Aunt, one of the powerful matrons who train the Handmaids and teach the children. In fact, she is none other than Aunt Lydia, the indomitable battleaxe responsible for the indoctrination of Offred who features so prominently in the original book. The second narrator is Agnes Jemima, the daughter of a powerful Commander. Her story is recorded after her liberation from Gilead and provides a fascinating insight into the experiences of a child growing up in the regime. The third narrator is Daisy, a child growing up in Canada. From her we get an outside view of Gilead—how the terrible society is viewed by its near neighbours and how the Mayday resistance seeks to help its people. The three tales are each engaging in their own right, but as they become more and more intertwined the story only gets better.
There are elements of the story that tie into the television adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, but literary purists who have not watched the show will enjoy The Testaments just the same. Since it is a sequel, however, I would say that it will be best enjoyed by those who have read The Handmaid's Tale or seen at least the first season of the show. The Testaments is a book that was 35 years in the making, but it was well worth the wait.
Spy by Danielle Steel
On December 8, 2019 December 8, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Historical Fiction, Thriller2 Comments
Publisher: Macmillan (Trade Paperback – 26 November 2019)
From the mind of the fourth-bestselling author of all time, drama and romance novelist supreme Danielle Steel, comes an excellent and compelling story about life, war and espionage that is really worth checking out.
Alexandra Wickham is the youngest child of a well-to-do British family living out on their estate in the country. A beautiful and intelligent young lady, Alex appears to be set for a life of privilege and marriage. However, the outbreak of World War II in 1939 allows Alex to throw off the shackles of expectation, and she moves to London, volunteering as a nurse. However, her fluency in French and German attracts the attention of a new government organisation, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), who are desperate to recruit her.
Suffering from personal losses and determined to do her part for her country, Alex joins the SOE and quickly becomes a skilled and valued agent. Trained in various forms of combat, sabotage and espionage, Alex makes several journeys into German territory to obtain valuable information. However, the hardest part of her new life is keeping her work secret from her friends and family, including her worried parents and the brave pilot she falls in love with.
Even after the war ends, Alex finds that she is unable to stop spying. When her husband, Richard, enters into the foreign service, Alex is recruited into MI6 and tasked with obtaining information from the various people she meets socially. As she follows her husband from one volatile end of the world to the next, Alex must reconcile the two separate parts of her life if she is to survive. But who is she? The loving wife and parent or the government agent who can never reveal her secret to those closest to her?
Now, I have to admit that before this year Danielle Steel was not an author that I really went out of my way to read. Steel writes a staggering number of novels each year (seven in 2019 alone), and most of them do not appeal to me (I think a quick perusal of some of the previous books I've read will give you a good idea of what my usual literary tastes are like). However, after enjoying Turning Point earlier this year (which I checked out because I do enjoy medical dramas), I decided to try Spy, as I was kind of curious to see how Steel would handle the historical spy genre. What I found was a captivating and enjoyable story which I was really glad I grabbed a copy of.
Spy is a historical fiction novel that follows the life story of the fictional protagonist, Alexandra Wikcham, who serves as the book's point-of-view character. This was a rather full and exciting story that not only focuses on the main characters career as a secret government agent but also explores her personal life, such as her interactions and relationship with her family, how she fell in love, and how she become a caring wife and mother. Spy's overall narrative is a fantastic blend of drama, historical fiction, spy thriller and romance novel, which proves to be quite addictive and rather enjoyable. I loved seeing the full progression of the main character's life, and I found myself getting attached to several of the characters featured within.
This was the first historical fiction by Danielle Steel that I have read, and I have to say that I was impressed with the various periods that were explored. The first half of the book is set during the events of World War II, and Steel does an incredible job of portraying this iconic part of the 20th century. The story is primarily set in England during this part of the war, and the reader gets a real sense of the events that are occurring, the struggles facing normal citizens during the conflict and the various contributions that the English people were making during the war. Spy also explores the damage, both physical and emotional, that the war produced, as the main character experiences great loss and despair throughout the course of the conflict and sees the impact on people that she cares for.
In addition to the great portrayal of World War II, Spy also examines a number of other intriguing historical events, periods and locations. The second part of the book is set over a much longer period of time and follows Alex and her husband, Richard, as they travel the world as English diplomats. These diplomatic assignments place them in a number of different countries during significant periods in history. For example, Alex and Richard end up in India during the end of British rule, when India is split into two countries. Other countries they end up in include Morocco, Hong Kong, America and the Soviet Union. All of these visits are only for a short part of the book, but they offer some intriguing snapshots into the various countries during significant parts of history. These combined historical periods make for a truly captivating and enjoyable novel, and they really work well with the dramatic and espionage aspects of the book, enhancing these other story elements with the cool historical settings.
I really enjoyed the espionage parts of Spy, as Steel has come up with a fascinating underlying thriller plot for this book. The actions of the SOE during World War II have long formed a great basis for historical spy stories over the years, and Steel did a fantastic showcasing how their female agents were recruited, often from organisations such as the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, trained, and then dropped into Europe for missions. The various missions that the protagonist undergoes in Europe are quite interesting, and range from various reconnaissance missions, to more complex information gathering exercises. The protagonist's actions after the war are also quite intriguing, as she is recruited by MI6 to spy on the various people her husband comes into contact with as a diplomat, and this results in her getting involved in some major historical events. It was quite fascinating to see with both missions during and post-World War II, the importance of information obtained from gossip or a leading conversation with a beautiful woman, and the impacts such information could have. This espionage part of the book is also the part of the book that I personally found the most thrilling and entertaining, and it was really cool to see all the danger and intrigue that followed this central character.
As Spy is a Danielle Steel novel, there is of course a central romance storyline that dominates the course of the book. At the beginning of the war, Alex meets and falls in love with Richard, a handsome and charming English fighter pilot, and they form a great relationship that lasts over 50 years. This is a really nice and supportive relationship, which is able to overcome some rather substantial obstacles, mainly World War II and Alex's career as a spy. Not only are the forced to put their relationship on hold during the course of the war, in fear that one of them might die, but Alex is required to keep all of her espionage activities a secret from Richard. Even when they are married, Alex is unable to tell him that she is a MI6 Agent or warn him that she might be putting their lives at risk in foreign countries. All this secrecy weighs heavily on the mind of Alex throughout the course of the book, and it adds a whole new dramatic edge to their relationship. However, I really liked the way it ended, and this was a fantastic and heart-warming romantic storyline that I quite enjoyed.
The latest Danielle Steel novel, Spy, proved to be a really compelling and moving story of life and love during the turbulence of the 20th century. Featuring a gripping story which followed the entire life of a female British espionage agent, Spy was an excellent novel that honestly has something for everyone in it. I was really impressed with this novel, and I am planning to check out more Danielle Steel novels in the future. Her next release, Moral Compass, sounds particularly intriguing, and I have already requested a copy of it.
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
On October 12, 2019 October 12, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Young Adult1 Comment
Publisher: Del Rey (Trade Paperback – 10 October 2019)
Series: Standalone/Book One
From the brilliant mind of young adult and horror author Kim Liggett comes one of the most thought-provoking reads of the year, The Grace Year.
In Garner County, a seemingly isolated town in the middle of vast wilderness, women are taught that they are magical beings whose eldritch powers are the root of all sin and whose magic can control the actions of men, causing them to do all manner of debauchery. In order to rid themselves of their magic, each girl in the village must participate in the grace year. At the start of their sixteenth year, all of the town's young women are transported to an isolated compound deep in the woods. There they must spend an entire year together, using all their magic to survive amidst the harsh elements and the dangerous things lurking outside the fences. Only if they survive their grace year will they emerge as pure women.
Tierney James is just about to enter her grace year. As something of a rebellious soul compared to the other girls in the village, Tierney dreams of a better society in which women are not forced to survive amidst the bitter whims of the men nor pitted against other women. Hoping for a quiet life in the fields after she returns, an unexpected betrothal from her friend paints a target on her back from the other girls travelling with her. After arriving at the compound, Tierney attempts find a way for everyone to survive the harsh year. However, between the lack of food, the vicious poachers waiting outside the fence and the growing instability of the girls trapped with her, Tierney's odds are not looking good. As the grace year continues, Tierney begins to suspect that she does not have any magic within her, and that the grace year is a lie. Can she convince her fellow participants of this before it is too late, or will Tierney be the latest victim of the grace year?
The Grace Year is a really interesting piece of fiction that features some stimulating examinations of modern society that has been getting some understandable comparisons to books like The Handmaid's Tale. Liggett is a fantastic author who has produced a number of compelling young adult novels since her 2015 debut, Blood and Salt, each of which has some intriguing elements. Her latest book has more of a social commentary slant, as it takes a look at how younger women are viewed within our modern society.
I received a copy of The Grace Year a few weeks ago, and I have to admit that before the publisher contacted me, this book was really not on my radar. While the plot synopsis of this book sounded really interesting, it is a little outside of my usual review wheelhouse. However, after diving into this book, I found that Liggett has created a complex and creative tale in a unique setting filled with vicious action, social commentary, a moving romance and even some horror elements.
The central focus of the book is on how the world views young women and how it is capable to manipulate a society in order for certain people to remain in power. Liggett apparently based the story on a scene she witnessed in a busy subway, where a young teen girl was appraised by various people passing by her. As a result, her book is set in a rather disturbing dystopian society where a large female population is controlled by a smaller group of males and women are barely treated as people. The protagonist's story unwinds the various methods that the men use to control the women, including through myth, religion, ceremonies, banishment and the events of the titular grace year. However, as the book progresses, there are some examples of female empowerment and thoughts of revolution that start to change the tone and direction of the book. All of these various elements ensure that The Grace Year is filled with quite a lot of social commentary that is incredibly relevant in modern times and which can be analysed in a number of different ways.
Liggett has done a great job telling her story in a well-paced and exciting manner. I found the initial parts of the book intriguing, especially when Liggett explored the various elements of the Garner County community, but my favourite part of the book covers the course of the actual grace year. There is a lot of apprehension built into the short amount of story before this point, as the narrator, Tierney, has very little actual idea of what actually occurs in the isolated compound during the grace year. In order to get to the compound, the young women have to traverse a landscape surrounded by poachers who make a legal living killing and harvesting the bodies of the grace year girls. While these poachers are a major threat, the real danger appears to come from the mental strain and manipulation of the isolation as the girls turn on each other. All this conflict and the resulting tribalism is reminiscent of Lord of the Flies and makes for some powerful and dark scenes. There is also a rather curious and tragic central romance that takes up a lot of space in the centre of the book, which not only makes for some great reading, but which also helps highlight another aspect of the author's crazy and inventive universe. All of this makes for a very compelling story that will appeal to a wide audience of readers who will love all the excitement and the really unique fictional society that the protagonist lives in.
The Grace Year is probably one of the more complex and unique books that I have had the pleasure of reading this year. It has some compelling ideas of society and gender identity that are interesting to unravel, all wrapped up in an excellent and captivating story. This is definitely a book that needs to be read in order to fully understand it, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone looking for an intriguing piece of literature.
Canberra Weekly Column – The Collaborator
On August 15, 2019 August 15, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Canberra Weekly Column, Drama, Historical FictionLeave a comment
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 15 August 2019.
Commodus by Simon Turney
On July 9, 2019 July 9, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Five-Star Books, Historical Fiction5 Comments
Publisher: Orion (Trade Paperback – 11 June 2019)
Series: The Damned Emperors – Book 2
Acclaimed historical fiction author Simon Turney catalogues another infamous ruler of Rome in the second book of his The Damned Emperors series, Commodus.
Rome, 162 AD. The Roman Empire is in a rare period of peace and stability, with two brothers, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, both ruling as Emperor. The future also looks bright, as for the first time in Rome's history, two male heirs have been born to a ruling Emperor. However, only one of these children is destined to become Emperor and make his own mark on history. His name is Commodus.
Raised as Rome's golden child, Commodus eventually succeeds his father as Emperor following a period of war, rebellion and disease. Beloved by the people and loathed by the Senate, Commodus styles himself as Hercules reborn, becoming a great patron and competitor of gladiatorial fights, chariot races and other feats of martial strength. However, behind the scenes, Commodus's life has been filled with tragedy and despair, and he hides a darker side beneath his golden exterior.
As Commodus succumbs more and more to his inner demons, Rome is rocked by power struggles and plots, as his family and servants attempt to control or usurp the unpredictable Emperor. Only one woman, Marcia, truly understands Commodus and can keep his mind together. Born a simple palace servant, Marcia was the love of Commodus's life and a skilled player of Roman politics. However, not even Marcia can contain Commodus's self-destructive urges forever, and eventually she must decide whether she will die at the hands of her great love or make the ultimate betrayal.
Commodus is the second book in Turney's The Damned Emperors series, which takes a look at some of the most tragic, infamous and self-destructive rulers of ancient Rome. After presenting an exciting tale of insanity and vengeance in Caligula, Turney now takes a look at one of the most intriguing emperors in Roman history, Commodus. The result is a powerful, well-written and captivating piece of historical fiction that I absolutely fell in love with and which easily earns a full five-star rating from me.
Commodus is truly one of the more fascinating figures in Roman history, which is saying a lot. While most would probably know him as the villain in the movie Gladiator, as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, he actually had a long and controversial reign, with many events that are hard to believe. As a result, a book focusing on his life is bound to be interesting; however, Turney goes above and beyond, presenting a well-researched and deeply compelling novelisation of Commodus's life. Not only does Turney explore some of the more extraordinary aspects of Commodus's reign, such as his devotion to becoming the new Hercules, his exploits in the arena or the cult of personality he formed around himself, but Turney also attempts to explain why he may have done them. This results in a clever and thought-provoking look at the entirety of Commodus's life, including several formative events that are known, or are likely to have happened, and which may have led to some of his more extreme actions later in life. I really enjoyed the potential scenarios that Turney came up with to explain Commodus's personality, and his justifications featured towards the end of the book are really quite interesting and very compelling. There are also some interesting historical tweaks to some of Commodus's actions, but I feel that these work in the wider aspect of the story and help to create a more believable narrative. The end result is an outstanding examination of this fascinating historical figure which will allow the reader to see Commodus in a whole new light.
Turney has done an amazing job telling this story, thanks in part to the use of an excellent point-of-view character. The story is told from the perspective of Marcia, the women in love with Commodus, and is set out as a personal chronicle of Marcia's actions, which run parallel to the life of Commodus. Turney takes more historical liberties with this character and re-imagines Marcia as a close childhood friend of Commodus. The use of Marcia as the story's narrator and the subsequent re-imagining of parts of her life story are done extremely well, allowing the author to have a single, consistent narrator who is constantly close to the main character. This was the best way to tell the complete story of Commodus's life, and it was an amazing storytelling device from Turney which completely justifies historical variations in the character.
Using Marcia as the point-of-view character also allowed Turney to tell an addictive historical tale of love, revenge, ambition and tragedy. Marcia is a tragic character in this book, and her storyline is really quite powerful. The daughter of a servant in the Imperial Palace, Marcia is allowed to grow close to Commodus, becoming his childhood friend and confidant before circumstances conspire to keep them apart. However, Marcia's determination to be with Commodus results in a series of power plays, plots and other nefarious actions as she tries both to free herself and to deal with other people who wish to influence the Emperor. Despite some of the terrible actions she commits, Marcia comes across as a very sympathetic character in this book, and your heart goes out to her with some of the setbacks she encounters. Her romance with Commodus, while caring and filled with love, is also very dramatic, as Commodus's moods and the influences of others in his circle often place strains and boundaries on them being together. The final, tragic result of this story is told extremely well, as the reader gets to see the highs of their love, swiftly followed by the swift, one-sided deterioration of their relationship. This results in a devastating conclusion to the book, and the reader is left reeling at how this romance comes to an end.
In addition to the story of Commodus and Marcia, Turney also does an excellent job exploring Roman history and events during the span of Commodus's life in the second half of the second century. Some truly fascinating events occurred during this period of Roman history, including wars, plagues and the reign of proxy tyrants such as Cleander and Perennis. The author covers these events in some detail, and it is really interesting to see how some of the events unfolded, how long they lasted and what actions led up to them. Commodus is also filled with a number of intriguing depictions of Roman life, and the various ancient Roman settings proved to be an amazing background for this great story.
Commodus is a first-rate novel and easily one of my favourite pieces of historical fiction for 2019. Turney is an incredibly skilled author whose dedication to historical detail pairs well with his amazing ability to tell a dramatic and powerful story. Commodus comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see which flawed ruler of Rome Turney focuses on in his next instalment of The Damned Emperors series.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
On June 12, 2019 June 12, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.
For this week's Waiting on Wednesday, I take a look at one of the biggest upcoming releases of 2019, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to Atwood's seminal work, The Handmaid's Tale.
Released back in 1985, The Handmaid's Tale told the story of Offred, a woman trapped in the oppressive military dictatorship, the Republic of Gilead. Due to her status as one of the few fertile women in Gilead, Offred has been forced into the life of a Handmaid, breeding stock for Gilead's leaders. The Handmaid's Tale highlighted the creation of this terrible nation and followed Offred's attempts to survive in this harsh new reality. The Handmaid's Tale has subsequently been adapted into a highly successful television series, with the third season starting just last week. Now, over 30 years after its original publication, Atwood has written a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale that continues its story and looks to the future of Gilead.
Set for release in September 2019, only a few plot details have been revealed so far, but it sounds like this could be quite an interesting read.
In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.
When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her—freedom, prison or death.
With The Testaments, the wait is over.
Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.
"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." —Margaret Atwood
I think that it is fair to say that The Testaments is going to be a book that a lot of people will be excited to read. The Handmaid's Tale is massive at the moment. Not only is it a major piece of pop culture currently thanks to the television show but the political and social messages contained within the original book are just as relevant today as they were in 1985, if not more so.
There are quite a few interesting elements in the plot details that have so far been provided. For example, it looks like The Testaments will showcase how the world and Gilead have changed in the 15 years following the events of The Handmaid's Tale. It also sounds like Atwood is going to explore the inner workings of Gilead, which is quite a fascinating and terrible society, and it will be intriguing to see how such a place could come into existence and remain in place. I imagine that a lot of fans of the book will be extremely interested to see if Atwood will reveal the fate of her original protagonist, Offred. When The Handmaid's Tale novel ended, Offred had an uncertain future—she was either being rescued by Mayday or being arrested by the Eyes—and the reader is left to guess what actually happens to her. I hope that Atwood will tell the rest of Offred's story and I wonder if Offred may be one of the female narrators giving testimony.
It is uncertain at this point what role the plot of the television show will have on The Testaments' story. The events of the original book were all covered within the first season, and the show has since gone off on its own tangent. It will be interesting to see if The Testaments will reflect any of the events that occurred within the show's second or third season. I am also curious to see whether any future seasons of the show will feature events contained within this sequel book. Either way, fans of the show will no doubt be very curious to check this book out.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is set to be an amazing book for later in the year and I am very excited about reading it. It will very cool to check out a sequel this long in the making and I will be interested to dive into the world of Gilead and the dark stories no doubt contained within.


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Divorce and Civil Partnership Dissolution
Disputes about living together
Prenuptial, postnuptial and separation agreements
Adoption and Fertility
Private Court Hearings
Hammersmith, West London
Update - maintenance in England while divorce proceeds in Scotland
AuthorKirsty Morris
The recent Supreme Court decision in Villiers v Villiers [2020] UKSC 30 has raised the issue of spousal maintenance claims in England and Wales in the national press once again. The English courts are already generally viewed as a generous forum for determining financial claims on divorce compared to our neighbouring jurisdictions of France and Scotland. Maintenance awards are made to ensure that the financially weaker party's income needs are met following the breakdown of the marriage. Upon divorce, the English courts recognise that to achieve a fair outcome, and to ensure needs are met, one spouse may have to receive spousal maintenance from the other for a period of time. In this jurisdiction, the court has a broad discretion (and a wide toolkit of powers) to deal with each case on its own facts.
The issue in Villiers was whether the English courts are able to deal with maintenance claims when the divorce and financial proceedings took place in Scotland. The case concerned a husband and wife who had spent their married life in Scotland, before the wife moved to England upon separation. It was accepted by both parties that the divorce should take place in Scotland (it has been long been established that where there is a question about whether Scotland or England is the correct jurisdiction to start proceedings, the court looks at the country in which the parties last lived together as a married couple). In Villiers, the Supreme Court (by a majority of 3 judges to 2) decided that (as a result of specific EU legislation) it is possible for a spouse to choose to bring a maintenance claim in a different UK jurisdiction (if more convenient) even if the divorce and financial claims are being dealt with by a different court in a different jurisdiction.
Rather than clarify matters, this judgment potentially complicates things for couples who have lived happily in Scotland or England for the duration of their marriage and choose to move to different countries following their separation. While the divorce should take place in the country in which the couple last lived together (with a few exceptions), the person claiming spousal maintenance may be able to bring a claim for maintenance in England (as a result of the Scottish financial process on divorce, an application is unlikely to be made the other way round). As this development is possible as a result of EU legislation, it remains to be seen what will happen after the Brexit transition period ends at the end of this year. If the UK are able to rely on certain international conventions, the Villiers decision may stand. If we go back to relying on English and Scottish laws, the ability for the person applying for maintenance to make an application in their new homeland is likely to be lost.
The Villiers decision makes it even more important for clients who live a life both north and south of the border to seek advice at an early stage so that the potential maintenance divide can be considered and the case can start on the right foot and in the correct jurisdiction.
For further assistance with a separation involving the Scottish and English jurisdictions, Legal Director Kirsty Morris is dual-qualified. Please contact her on 0203 824 9950 or mail@burgessmee.com for more information and to arrange a consultation.
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We recently announced the launch of Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List for 2014—showcasing the very best hotels and cruise lines across the world, chosen by our readers. Today, we're highlighting hotels that we think are historic gems.
This week, we announced the launch of Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List for 2014' showcasing the very best hotels and cruise lines across the world, chosen by our readers. Nearly 80,000 of you weighed in on your favorite accommodations across the world' from exotic safari lodges, to luxurious beach escapes. Today, we're highlighting our list of historic gems: stunning, converted European castles, restored seventeenth-century convents, medieval villages, and everything in between. See the entire list here.


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Mukha Mukham
aka Face to Face 1984 106' col Malayalam d/s Adoor Gopalakrishnan p K. Ravindranathan Nair pc General Pics c Ravi Varma m M.B. Srinivasan lp P. Ganga, Balan K. Nair, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Krishna Kumar, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Thilakan, Vishwanathan, Ashokan, Lalitha, Vembayam, Krishnankutty Nair, John Samuel, Shanmugham Pillan, Thambi
Gopalakrishnan's melodrama that opened up a new direction in the genre in Malayalam film while looking at the unpalatable aspects of radical populism in Kerala. The first part is set in the 1945-55 period just prior to the shortlived 1957 CPI electoral victory in the State. The 2nd part is ten years later, after 1964, when the CPI split in two, later fragmenting even further. The central character is Sridharan (Ganga), a trade union leader who plays a key role in winning a strike against mechanisation. He is mercilessly beaten by thugs and has to go underground. This episode is told from the point of view of an idealist radical, Sudhakaran (Vishwanathan as a boy, Ashokan as a man). Years later, the old radicals have made their compromises and Sridharan has become a legendary emblem of integrity on whom the defeated survivors have projected their erstwhile radicalism. When he returns, there follows bitter disappointment at the discovery of the legendary hero's human weaknesses. His name is invoked by all factions as a rallying cry, making his presence all the more embarrassing. One day, he is found killed. With the man safely out of the way, his image can once again be mobilised, untarnished by the complexities of real life. Violently attacked by the CPI(M) establishment in Kerala, the film works on several layers: in critiquing the state's left establishment it also critically evokes a tradition of political melodrama in Kerala (cf. Thoppil Bhasi's scripts). It suggests that its protagonist in all his roles - fiery leader, spent force, political legend - is inescapably reduced into stereotypical functioning, in the popular melodramatic sense, of one kind or another. The film thereby shifts the entire critique into one where the mass culture generated by incomplete capitalist growth merges with the rhetoric of left activism, the whole masking what the director suggests to be the major problem: the absence of a valid indigenous culture able to define the terms of its engagement with capitalist systems.


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Mattoo
Early Antibiotic Treatment for Pediatric Febrile Urinary Tract Infection and Renal Scarring.
Nader Shaikh
Tej Mattoo
Ron Keren
Anastasia Ivanova
Gang Cui
Marva Moxey-Mims
Massoud Majd
Harvey Ziessman
Alejandro Hoberman

Importance: Existing data regarding the association between delayed initiation of antimicrobial therapy and the development of renal scarring are inconsistent.

Objective: To determine whether delay in the initiation of antimicrobial therapy for febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs) is associated with the occurrence and severity of renal scarring.

Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study that combined data from 2 previously conducted longitudinal studies (the Randomized Intervention for Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux trial and the Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation Study ). Children younger than 6 years with a first or second UTI were followed up for 2 years.

Exposure: Duration of the child's fever prior to initiation of antimicrobial therapy for the index UTI.

Main Outcomes and Measures: New renal scarring defined as the presence of photopenia plus contour change on a late dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan (obtained at study exit) that was not present on the baseline scan.

Results: Of the 482 children included in the analysis, 434 were female (90%), 375 were white (78%), and 375 had vesicoureteral reflux (78%). The median age was 11 months. A total of 35 children (7.2%) developed new renal scarring. Delay in the initiation of antimicrobial therapy was associated with renal scarring; the median (25th, 75th percentiles) duration of fever prior to initiation of antibiotic therapy in those with and without renal scarring was 72 (30, 120) and 48 (24, 72) hours, respectively (P = .003). Older age (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 5.24; 95% CI, 2.15-12.77), recurrent urinary tract infections (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.27-3.45), and bladder and bowel dysfunction (OR, 6.44; 95% CI, 2.89-14.38) were also associated with new renal scarring. Delay in the initiation of antimicrobial therapy remained significantly associated with renal scarring even after adjusting for these variables.

Conclusions and Relevance: Delay in treatment of febrile UTIs and permanent renal scarring are associated. In febrile children, clinicians should not delay testing for UTI.

Utility of sedation for young children undergoing dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scans.
Sonika Bhatnagar
Milan Nadkarni
William Primack

BACKGROUND: No studies have examined whether use of sedation during a Tc-99 m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan reduces patient discomfort.

OBJECTIVE: To compare discomfort level during a DMSA scan to the discomfort level during other frequently performed uroradiologic tests, and to determine whether use of sedation during a DMSA scan modifies the level of discomfort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the discomfort level in 798 children enrolled in the Randomized Intervention for children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation (CUTIE) studies by asking parents to rate their child's discomfort level with each procedure on a scale from 0 to 10. We compared discomfort during the DMSA scan and the DMSA image quality between centers in which sedation was used >90% of the time (sedation centers), centers in which sedation was used <10% of the time (non-sedation centers), and centers in which sedation was used on a case-by-case basis (selective centers).

RESULTS: Mean discomfort level was highest for voiding cystourethrogram (6.4), followed by DMSA (4.0), followed by ultrasound (2.4; P<0.0001). Mean discomfort level during the DMSA scan was significantly higher at non-sedation centers than at selective centers (P<0.001). No difference was apparent in discomfort level during the DMSA scan between sedation centers and selective centers (P=0.12), or between the sedation centers and non-sedation centers (P=0.80). There were no differences in the proportion with uninterpretable DMSA scans according to sedation use.

CONCLUSION: Selective use of sedation in children 12-36 months of age can reduce the discomfort level experienced during a DMSA scan.

Pediatr Radiol
Renal Scarring in the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) Trial.
Russell Chesney
Saul Greenfield
Ranjiv Mathews
Lisa Gravens-Mueller
Myra Carpenter
RIVUR Investigators
2016 Jan 7

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial were to evaluate the role of antimicrobial prophylaxis in the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scarring in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). We present a comprehensive evaluation of renal scarring outcomes in RIVUR trial participants.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 607 children aged 2-71 months with grade 1-4 VUR diagnosed after a first or second febrile or symptomatic UTI. Study participants received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or placebo and were followed for 2 years. Renal scarring was evaluated by baseline and follow-up (99m)technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scans that were reviewed independently by two blinded reference radiologists.

RESULTS: At the end of the study, 58 (10%) of 599 children and 63 (5%) of 1197 renal units had renal scarring. New renal scarring did not differ between the prophylaxis and placebo groups (6% versus 7%, respectively). Children with renal scarring were significantly older (median age, 26 versus 11 months; P=0.01), had a second UTI before enrollment (odds ratio [OR], 2.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.38 to 5.92), were more likely to be Hispanic (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.34), and had higher grades of VUR (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.56 to 5.0). The proportion of new scars in renal units with grade 4 VUR was significantly higher than in units with no VUR (OR, 24.2; 95% CI, 6.4 to 91.2).

CONCLUSIONS: Significantly more renal scarring was seen in relatively older children and in those with a second episode of febrile or symptomatic UTI before randomization. Preexisting and new renal scars occurred significantly more in renal units with grade 4 VUR than in those with low-grade or no VUR. Antimicrobial prophylaxis did not decrease the risk of renal scarring.

10.2215/CJN.05210515
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Children With Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction.
Nathan Gotman
Steven Docimo
Hans Pohl

BACKGROUND: Little generalizable information is available on the outcomes of children diagnosed with bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) after a urinary tract infection (UTI). Our objectives were to describe the clinical characteristics of children with BBD and to examine the effects of BBD on patient outcomes in children with and without vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).

METHODS: We combined data from 2 longitudinal studies (Randomized Intervention for Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation) in which children <6 years of age with a first or second UTI were followed for 2 years. We compared outcomes for children with and without BBD, children with and without VUR, and children with VUR randomly assigned to prophylaxis or placebo. The outcomes examined were incidence of recurrent UTIs, renal scarring, surgical intervention, resolution of VUR, and treatment failure.

RESULTS: BBD was present at baseline in 54% of the 181 toilet-trained children included; 94% of children with BBD reported daytime wetting, withholding maneuvers, or constipation. In children not on antimicrobial prophylaxis, 51% of those with both BBD and VUR experienced recurrent UTIs, compared with 20% of those with VUR alone, 35% with BBD alone, and 32% with neither BBD nor VUR. BBD was not associated with any of the other outcomes investigated.

CONCLUSIONS: Among toilet-trained children, those with both BBD and VUR are at higher risk of developing recurrent UTIs than children with isolated VUR or children with isolated BBD and, accordingly, exhibit the greatest benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Urinary Tract Infection Recurrence.
Caleb Nelson

BACKGROUND: The Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial found that recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) with resistant organisms were more common in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (TSP) arm. We describe factors associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) resistance of rUTIs in RIVUR.

METHODS: Children aged 2 to 71 months with first or second UTI (index UTI) and grade I to IV vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) were randomized to TSP or placebo and followed for 2 years. Factors associated with TMP-SMX-resistant rUTI were evaluated.

RESULTS: Among 571 included children, 48% were <12 months old, 43% had grade II VUR, and 38% had grade III VUR. Recurrent UTI occurred in 34 of 278 children receiving TSP versus 67 of 293 children receiving placebo. Among those with rUTI, 76% (26/34) of subjects receiving TSP had TMP-SMX-resistant organisms versus 28% (19/67) of subjects receiving placebo (P < .001). The proportion of TMP-SMX-resistant rUTI decreased over time: in the TSP arm, 96% were resistant during the initial 6 months versus 38% resistant during the final 6 months; corresponding proportions for the placebo arm were 32% and 11%. Among children receiving TSP, 7 (13%) of 55 with TMP-SMX-resistant index UTI had rUTI, whereas 27 (12%) of 223 with TMP-SMX-susceptible index UTI had rUTI (adjusted hazard ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.54-3.56). Corresponding proportions in placebo arm were 17 (26%) of 65 and 50 (22%) of 228 (adjusted hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 0.74-2.38).

CONCLUSIONS: Although TMP-SMX resistance is more common among children treated with TSP versus placebo, resistance decreased over time. Among children treated with TSP, there was no significant difference in UTI recurrence between those with TMP-SMX-resistant index UTI versus TMP-SMX-susceptible UTI.

Development and impact of an intervention to boost recruitment in a multicenter pediatric randomized clinical trial.
Diana Kearney

OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to develop and evaluate an intervention to increase recruitment in a multicenter pediatric randomized clinical trial (RCT). Our secondary objective was to assess the impact beyond 120 days.

METHODS: The study was conducted at 17 academic centers participating in a pediatric RCT. The intervention consisted of utilizing a recruitment assessment tool at a site visit or teleconference with key site personnel.

RESULTS: We found a significant increase in the number of individuals enrolled for all 17 sites at 120 days postintervention (mean = 1.12 per site; median = 1 per site; 95% confidence interval = 1-2; P = .04). No significant differences were apparent beyond the first 120 days postintervention.

CONCLUSIONS: Successful recruitment in RCTs is essential to the quality, generalizability, and cost-effectiveness of clinical research. Implementation of this recruitment intervention may effectively increase recruitment in RCTs. Beyond the first 120 days postintervention, repeated interventions may be required. What is new? Despite general and pediatric-specific challenges to recruitment in RCTs, a paucity of evidence exists on effective recruitment strategies or assessment tools to reliably enhance recruitment. We developed a recruitment intervention for use in RCTs that enables clinical researchers to enhance recruitment.

Clin Pediatr (Phila)
The RIVUR trial: profile and baseline clinical associations of children with vesicoureteral reflux.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is diagnosed in ∼30% to 40% of children who have imaging studies after urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our goal is to characterize children enrolled in the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux (RIVUR) trial and to compare our study cohort with those from previously published studies.

METHODS: RIVUR investigators from 19 pediatric sites in the United States recruited 607 children with grade I through IV VUR. Children were enrolled after a first or second UTI. This cross-sectional report of baseline data includes extensive clinical, parental report, and imaging study results.

RESULTS: RIVUR recruited 607 children (558 girls, 49 boys) with grade I (11%), II (42%), III (38%), or IV (8%) reflux. The median age was 12 months, and most children (91%) were enrolled after their first UTI. The UTI leading to enrollment was both febrile and symptomatic for 323 children, febrile only in 197 children, and symptomatic only in 86. Renal involvement at baseline as documented by a (99m)Tc dimercaptosuccinic acid scan was uncommon with cortical defects identified in 89 (15%) children. Bladder and bowel dysfunction was identified in 71 (56%) of 126 toilet-trained subjects assessed.

CONCLUSIONS: RIVUR is the largest prospective, randomized trial for children with primary VUR to date, comparing prophylaxis with placebo. The study sample comprises patients from 19 pediatric clinical sites in the United States, whose demographic and clinical characteristics may differ from those of children enrolled in previous trials from other countries.

Antimicrobial prophylaxis for children with vesicoureteral reflux.
Bradley Kropp
Steven Skoog

BACKGROUND: Children with febrile urinary tract infection commonly have vesicoureteral reflux. Because trial results have been limited and inconsistent, the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent recurrences in children with reflux remains controversial.

METHODS: In this 2-year, multisite, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 607 children with vesicoureteral reflux that was diagnosed after a first or second febrile or symptomatic urinary tract infection, we evaluated the efficacy of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis in preventing recurrences (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes were renal scarring, treatment failure (a composite of recurrences and scarring), and antimicrobial resistance.

RESULTS: Recurrent urinary tract infection developed in 39 of 302 children who received prophylaxis as compared with 72 of 305 children who received placebo (relative risk, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38 to 0.78). Prophylaxis reduced the risk of recurrences by 50% (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.74) and was particularly effective in children whose index infection was febrile (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.64) and in those with baseline bladder and bowel dysfunction (hazard ratio, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.58). The occurrence of renal scarring did not differ significantly between the prophylaxis and placebo groups (11.9% and 10.2%, respectively). Among 87 children with a first recurrence caused by Escherichia coli, the proportion of isolates that were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was 63% in the prophylaxis group and 19% in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS: Among children with vesicoureteral reflux after urinary tract infection, antimicrobial prophylaxis was associated with a substantially reduced risk of recurrence but not of renal scarring. (Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and others; RIVUR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00405704.).

N. Engl. J. Med.


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