The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean

An intensely poignant and beautiful story moving between present day America with Alzheimer's encroaching upon Marina, and in wartime Russia when Marina was a museum guide, freshly engaged to Dmitri who has gone off to fight. It's set in the beautifully imposing and rich Leningrad Hermitage Museum, and Marina is working with others in a gruelling schedule to pack up the thousands of treasures in the face of the impending German invasion. The paintings in every room are richly described, revisited and brought to life in Marina's memories, stored in her memory palace. The frequent air raids and deprivations of war cause many of the workers to reside in the museum, living on meagre rations. One of my favourite scenes is during one of her lookout shifts on the roof - she walks past Rembrandt's works and recalls "Danae" where Zeus visits the nude Danae in a shower of gold. Marina is delirious from lack of food and sleep - Zeus appears shining and beautiful on the rooftop and seduces her. Another is in the public steam baths, when she convinces Olga that she's pregnant and the other women come to feel her belly, marvelling at the miracle. I read this book in one sitting.

The Colour - Rose Tremain

Not the usual storyline that would attract me - the harsh environment and greed of the gold rush in 19th century New Zealand. I read it because of the author's reputation and wasn't disappointed. In spite of the dreary setting, the writing was so convincing, imaginative and natural that I was drawn in from the first page. Joseph & Harriet Blackstone are new settlers in Christchurch, and when Joseph is gripped by gold fever, he leaves Harriet and his mother to find "the colour" on the West Coast. I tended to sympathize with Harriet, a strong woman who goes to look for her husband when his mother dies and their cob house collapses in extreme weather. The desperation and hopelessness of Joseph's plight is alleviated when Harriet arrives and accidentally finds gold upstream. There's a touching relationship between Harriet and the dignified Chinese man Pao Yi in the aftermath of the river flooding and uprooting all the gold mining. A moving and beautifully written story.

Prochownik's Dream - Alex Miller

This is about an artist at a point of some creative crisis who becomes inspired again when his mentor and his wife return to town and he again becomes involved with them. He gets to know his mentor's wife and she becomes his muse. Took me awhile to get into its low key style.