The Second Lady by Irving Wallace

The story begins with the introduction of the First Lady Billie Bradford. She’s ever the glamorous and enchanting lady Americans have ever seen. Or so they think.  They aren’t aware of the exact double of their beloved First Lady who is nothing but a Russian spy put into the American embassy to know their state secrets. The Russians have replicated the first lady down to the exact detail to such an extent that even they themselves aren’t able to tell the difference between the two when the time comes. The scam, the treachery that has been committed is too fantastic for anyone to believe let alone imagine. And that’s the weapon they have.

The plot of the novel revolves around two Ladies; Billie Bradford the original first lady who has been kept as a prisoner in the Russian Embassy and Vera Vavilova the Second Lady who is the Russian spy in America impersonating as wife of the president.

Billie Bradford tries every way possible to escape. She lies and pretends to be in love with a Russian. The want for freedom and the will to save her country is so enormous that she sacrifices her honor and commits a sacrilege unknown in the American history. Billie Bradford is the prefect martyr in the novel.

Vera Vavilova in an actress taken into the task because of the uncanny resemblance she bears to American First Lady Billie Bradford. She is fully trained and knows each and everything about the president’s wife right down to what kind of books she reads and brands she likes to which side of the bed she sleeps in. She’s the perfect decoy which no one could ever doubt.

Only a newspaper Journalist Guy Parker suspects that something is fishy with the first lady after her visit from the Russia. He presents his doubt to Nora Judson who’s the press secretary of the first lady but she just shrugs off his suspicions.

The novel is a roller coaster joinery in which there are no secrets which the reader doesn’t know all he doesn’t knows is that who in the end will survive… or rather survives.

The most captivating aspect of this novel is that even after you have finished the novel, three days after, you’ll find yourself wondering what the ending was all about. The mysterious note on which the novel ends will make you feel like you’ve been cheated and at the same time you are in awe of the amazing story teller Irving Wallace is. More gripping than the impersonation of the American First Lady are the wonders and the calculating moves of the Russians. This novel has everything an avid book reader can ask for. An immortal love story, Russian conspiracy, glamour, espionage, jail break. You name it you have. It a masquerade party with all the cocktails served on a silver platter. The plot of the story will win you over and the sheer intelligence and the cunningness with which the events have been executed. It’s a nail biting tale always keeping you on the edge of your couch and as the story gradually unfolds you will realize that a masterpiece has been created by the hands of a mortal. 

Hotel by Arthur Hailey

St Gregory Hotel is a private establishment and Warren Trent, also called W.T., is the owner of it. The novel begins with the introduction to the problems a hotel generally faces .Complaints from guests regarding some rowdy boys partying too hard and how a harmless party goes out of hand giving a push towards the roller-coaster ride of the St Gregory mansion.

In the beginning it is clear that St Gregory Hotel’s ownership is in trouble. The lease of twenty years of the hotel property was due for redemption and W.T. wasn’t getting any lenders as the hotel was facing losses. The hotel was going through a gradual death and where there is death vultures are never far .Hence enters Curtis O’Keefe, hotelier who ran a chain of hotels all over the world and was now eyeing St Gregory. He was someone who seldom faced disappointed in his endeavours, was ruthless, practical, notably devout and was sure of his success. He always had a different starlet accompanying him being the influential person he was; Miss Lash was the beauty this time. Is his success as easy and simple as he has thought it to be?

Duke and Duchess of Croydon were also the residents of this hotel. Duchess was a cool and composed lady who had a haughty air about her. The Duke was complete opposite. He has seldom sober and where Duchess was always in control of the situation, Duke seldom knew what to do. With her calculating nature Duchess tries to avert a disaster putting whole of her intellect and influence into action. But will she be successful in hiding the dastardly crime her husband has committed?

Keycase is a hotel thief who robs the guests staying in hotels and St. Gregory is his place of action this time round. He uses ingenious methods to avoid detection and to accomplish his miscreant activities. But he always lives in the threat of a lifelong imprisonment. Will the vigilant hotel staff catch him and send him to prison for good?

Peter McDermott is the assistant manager in the hotel. He is a highly principled man with a single black spot in his career which forbids him to leave the hotel and work in a more righteous place. He is frustrated due to the lack of power he has and which he knows he won’t ever get.

 This book takes your through the kitchens and dining halls of an hotel. You will unearth the delusions people live through and the callousness of the high and mighty. Till what extent influential people can go, to cover up their crimes and how a petty thief is given a second chance by fate. 

Reading this book you smile and frown and will be pleasantly surprised that how a seemingly insignificant individual changes the course of life of so many people.

 It’s with amazing skill that Arthur Hailey brings so many people with varied lifestyles together in one single strike of fate. It holds the charm of the book To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) by divulging into racism and how the principles of one man change the tradition.

It’s not that kind of book which you can’t put down but it certainly is that kind of book which will make you read the page twice to make you believe what has just happened. A refreshing book which also gives interesting nuggets and secrets of hotels and how love happens in the most unusual of places and to the most unsuspecting people.

'You have to weigh what you want against what you believe in'

One Child by Torey Hayden

This book is the journey of a teacher and a student. The student being a rebellious six year old who never spoke or cried. Everything with her was like a challenge. On her first day in class it was evident that she would be difficult to handle. But just how difficult, that was something they had never dreamt

The book begins with the author, Torey Hayden , recalling an article she had read in the local newspaper. It was about a six year old girl who had abducted a three year old, tied him to a tree and had set him to fire. 

She taught the emotional disturbed and learning impaired children. She had her own private classroom and had eight such children to begin with. She had aids with her Whiteny ,a fourteen year old girl, and Anton a married refugee. The youngest child in her class was six and the oldest was nine. She was confident ... enough.

And then came, Sheila.  She was the girl that the article had been about. The authorities had thought it was best to put her in Torey's class. She was six and a half years old , she was a tiny little girl with matted hair and hostile eyes. On her first day in class she refused all the friendly gestures made to her. She refused to take part in the classroom activities , didn't read, write or talk. She was a silent statue. Everything with her seemed to be a battle and the first sentence that she spoke in the class was 'You can't make me talk' .  Torey read her file and found it to be surprisingly thin. It told her about the conditions Sheila lived in. She lived with her father in a makeshift home where there was no electricity or plumbing. Reading the file one thing that became evident to Torey was that Sheila had tried to make herself unlovable but she was convinced that the girl was still reachable.

 This book teaches us the importance of perseverance and dedication and shows us how love and hope can help us in achieving even the most impossible of tasks. 

Sheila the girl, who burns a child, mutilates gold-fishes, is scared of her father and scared to be abandoned,  the girl who gets raped by her uncle and is scared to cry, in the end discovers a new way to life. She learns how to love and to say good-bye.She learns how to cry.

This is a story about growth of not just a girl named Sheila , but about all such children who have lost hope. This is for all those parents out there who are ready to give up.

Nothing is the end , unless you want it to be the end.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.

You become responsible , forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose..."

Sheila wrote a poem for Torey Hayden

 " To Torey with much 

           'Love'

All the rest came

They tried to make me laugh

They played their games with me

Some games for fun and some for keeps

And then they went away

Leaving me in the ruins of games

Not knowinig which were for keeps and 

Which were for fun and

Leaving me alone with the echos of 

Laughter which was not mine.

Then you came

In your funny way of being

Not quite human

And you made me cry

And you didn't seem to care if I did

You just said the games are over

And waited

Until all my tears turned into

Joy. "

http://www.torey-hayden.com/the_poem.htm

What is this blog about?

I have been reading books since the age of nine.

I remember 'Famous Five Series' being one of the most initial novels I started off with. Enid Blyton is the lady who introduced me to the world of books. Reading her work I learnt how printed words could be brought to life.

If any of you have read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke you will be able to understand this more figuratively. It is how you read the words and taste the words and how the characters actually come to life. 

I have, since then, been enchanted with this world of page and ink. Its like a machine which can transport you into someone else's life and you can share their experiences as your own. It is like a drug, believe me. I have spent many nights with Harry Potter walking through the corridors of Hogwarts. I have stayed awake with Hercule Poirot so that I can find out who the murderer is.

If once you taste the joy of books its hard to get out of. In this blog I will be writing either synopsis or reviews and my views about the books that I have read. I will be updating it as regularly as possible and I would like you all to send in your views and comments too. I would be glad to take up any book which you suggest.

Hope we share a fulfilling journey together!