A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

Usually I have an image of the front cover of the book I have just read pasted at the top of my comments, but PhotoElements is trying to be troublesome this morning. You will just have to imagine it instead. Picture Jeffrey's name in bold, shiny gold raised letters on top of the cover against a greyish background. Below is the appearance of a pointed, black fence and further near the bottom of the cover is the title in simple, white letters.

This book was a gift to my Dad from me for Christmas. One of the few books/favorite authors I found for him at my Goodwill. He told me that he stayed up one night just to finish it so I knew it would be a good read. Therefore when I was in the process of devouring my mother's all time favorite book, I put it down in order to read this one. I knew my mother's would only simmer on my side table and only get more tantalizing like a good meal, which is always worth anticipating.

A Prisoner of Birth is a story about two young men and how destiny brings them together in a prison cell. Another person is in the cell as well, but he is a strong, quiet presence who becomes the thread that sews these two lives together. Is it destiny? Can one say that a jail cell is one's destiny which turns one's life around from poverty to riches?

But when two of those people in that tiny space begin to transform and could pass for brothers or even each other, then the stage is set. One's release becomes anothers freedom and even the courtroom cannot banish the truth. The truth will make one free and imprison others.

Check this book out of the library or borrow it off someones bookshelf like I did and get ready for a great read. You may be burning the midnight candle with this one so go ahead and get out the book of matches.

THE SHELL SEEKERS by ROSAMUNDE PILCHER

 

Does your father or mother have a favorite book? The one they call "their favorite book" every time they talk about it or pick it off their bookshelf? Well this one is my father's favorite. He just reread it for the umpteenth time so I decided to get my copy off my bookshelf and read it again too just to be on par with my Dad. Then we could talk about it again. One more time.

 

He is now 96 but when he was turning 90 I wrote to Rosamunde Pilcher and told her that my Dad was turning 90 and that she was "his favorite author" in the whole world. Would she consider making his birthday one to remember by autographing one of her books and sending it to me so I could give it to my Dad for his birthday? I would pay of course for it and shipping, etc.

 

Lo and behold I got an email from her son, Robin, who said they would be glad to do just that and they sent an autographed book to me over the sea and never asked for payment. I wanted to fly over the Atlantic and give them both a huge hug. They really made my Dad's birthday, or rather I did through them. It's a group thing. He has his signed copy, with much pride, on his shelf.

 

But of all of Rosamunde Pilcher's books, The Shell Seekers is my Dad's all time favorite.

 

I am not going to tell you what or who are The Shell Seekers. You will have to read the book in order to figure out that mystery. But let's just say that I wouldn't mind having a Shell Seeker in my home.

 

At any rate this book is primarily about Penelope Keeling who has had a very colorful life but it isn't over yet. We get to feel through her eyes and memory what she has lived and loved through. We get to see her three grown children through her thoughts and how different the siblings all are from each other and from Rosamunde as well. Who really "gets her"? We want to be Rosamunde's friend. She is intelligent, giving and highly passionate underneath her simple attire. We want to sit in her tiny but delicious kitchen and eat her homey dishes or sit with her in front of her fire and have a drink and chat. We get to understand what The Shell Seekers means to her and how it has effected her life.

 

My paperback is 582 pages of delight. It is resting once again on my bookshelf among its other Pilcher novels until I reach for it again, thinking of my father, and reading it with him in mind.

 

Next you will hear about my mother's favorite all time book which I am in the joy of reading now. It's thick so hold on to your cup of coffee. It will be a week or two before you see the post about it.