Some twenty years have passed since painter Elaine Risley left Toronto, Canada. Now she is back for a retrospective exhibition of her work and memories of childhood and youth flood her mind. Many of them are one way or another related to her "best friend" Cordelia who bullied her in primary school until she lost her power over Elaine when she almost froze to death in a ravine. Although she almost forgot those difficult years, they had a lasting impact on her life... and her painting.

Read more about this Canadian novel here on my main book blog Edith's Miscellany.

Midwinter by John Buchan is a historical spy novel and it's a good book.

The story is set in the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie, more precisely during the Jacobite rising of 1745/46, and its protagonist is a captain of the Scottish army travelling through England to join his Prince in Scotland. On his way he realises that his assumed friends are actually his foes trying to get rid of him with all means because they betray the Jacobite cause. He is helped by a not yet famous Samuel Johnson and a mysterious man called "Midwinter" rescues him ever again from almost certain death.

I wrote a long review of the novel on my main book blog which you can find following the link to Edith's Miscellany.