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Midnight by Amy McCulloch 3/5

I loved Breathless and was looking forward to Midnight but didn’t find that McCulloch’s second novel was as strong as her first. There are a lot of the same engaging ingredients — murders, mystery and an expedition holiday — but the story bogged down. That said, anyone wanting to vicariously take a luxury expedition Antarctica cruise will love the authenticity of her setting.

Stolen Girl now available in Ukrainian

Books XXI in Chernivtsi, Ukraine is publishing this beautiful edition of Stolen Child (Stolen Girl). Titled The Kidnapped Girl for this edition, the translation was done by the talented Yuliya Lyubka. More information can be found here. In Canada it will be available from Koota Ooma and other Ukrainian bookstores.

Love, joy, renewal

Writing a pysanka is a time of quiet contemplation akin to prayer. It’s a time to think about hopes and dreams for a better future, for the things that are most important for the world and what our part is in making those happen.

Red symbolizes love and joy. Green is the renewal that comes with spring. Diamond and square shapes represent plowed fields.

A star, a cross, Ukraine’s colours

A star, a cross, Ukraine’s colours. A pysanka is written in hot beeswax with a kistka, which is like a fountain pen, only filled with melted wax rather than ink. The metal tip of the kistka is held over a candle flame, then dipped onto a cake of beeswax. The carbon from the candle darkens the wax so it’s the colour of black ink and it’s easy to see where the wax is applied to the egg. The first step is to cover up everything the artist wishes to remain white, then to soak the egg in the next lightest colour of dye – in this case yellow. Then the artist covers with wax everything that will be yellow, then soaks in the next lightest colour of dye. After all of the colours are applied, the wax is melted off.