It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s time for another Six Degrees of Separation, hosted by Kate of Books are my Favourite and Best. The idea is that Kate chooses a book to use as a starting point and then we have to link it to six other books of our choice to form a chain. A book doesn’t have to be connected to all of the others on the list – only to the one next to it in the chain.
This month we were told we could begin with any travel guide of our choice. Coincidentally, I have just begun reading Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Rebecca West’s 1941 travel book about her journey through the former Yugoslavia. I’ve wanted to read this for years and have been put off by the length, but I’ve finally decided to just plunge in.
Rebecca West’s epic masterpiece not only provides deep insight into the former country of Yugoslavia; it is a portrait of Europe on the brink of war. A heady cocktail of personal travelogue and historical insight, this product of an implacably inquisitive intelligence remains essential for anyone attempting to understand the history of the Balkan states, and the wider ongoing implications for a fractured Europe.
Girl at War by Sara Nović (1) is set in Croatia in 1991, during the breakup of Yugoslavia. As the country descends into war, we see events unfold through the eyes of a ten-year-old girl. I found this a very moving and emotional novel and enjoyed reading it during a trip to Dubrovnik.
A book with a shared word in the title is War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (2). It’s a children’s book, but can also be appreciated by adults; I read it in preparation for going to see the Steven Spielberg film version in 2012. The story is narrated by Joey, a young horse who serves in the cavalry on the battlefields of World War I.
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (3) is also a book about a horse. It’s the story of fifteen-year-old Charley, who gets a job at the Portland Meadows race track in Oregon and forms a close bond with the racehorse, Lean on Pete.
As well as being an author, Vlautin is currently the guitarist and vocalist with the American country soul band The Delines.
Another author who is also a musician is Mat Osman, the bassist in the band Suede (and brother of author and TV presenter Richard Osman). I have read his second novel, The Ghost Theatre (4), which is set in an alternate history version of Elizabethan London, where one of our protagonists belongs to a community of bird-worshippers known as Aviscultans.
Birds provide the link to my next book, The Bird King by G Willow Wilson (5), in which a mapmaker accused of sorcery and the ability to draw magical maps flees across 15th century Spain in search of the legendary island of Qaf, said to be the home of the King of the Birds. I found this a very unusual novel, combining history, myth and fantasy.
In Kim Fay’s novel, The Map of Lost Memories (6), a woman dreams of making an important historical discovery and establishing her own museum. Setting off on an expedition to Cambodia, she begins a search for ten lost copper scrolls recording the history of the Khmer people. I think this is possibly the only book I’ve read set in Cambodia!
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And that’s my chain for April. My links have included: books set in the former Yugoslavia, books with war in the title, horses, authors who are musicians, birds and maps. Staying with the ‘travel’ theme, my chain this month has taken me to Croatia, France, USA, England, Spain and Cambodia.
In May we’ll be starting with a novel longlisted for the 2024 Stella Prize – The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop.
She Reads Novels 
A really interesting chain, Helen. I’ve never read anything set in Croatia and only recently came across The Dubrovnik Book Club which I thought of picking up for that reason. The Bird King from your chain piques my interest too as do the two horse books but I’d want to be sure the horses are ok before I pick them up
I think Girl at War could be the only book I’ve read set in Croatia, although I would like to read more. I can’t actually remember what happens to the horse in Lean on Pete, but I think you would be ok with War Horse!
That’s good to know; I’ll track down a copy of War Horse then 🙂
Interesting chain here. Not read any of these, but that’s what this meme is all about, right?
I’ve never read many of the books in other people’s chains, but always find plenty to add to the TBR!
Haven’t read any of these but enjoyed reading your chain. I love the cover of the last one.
Yes, I like that cover. It was an interesting book, mainly because of the Cambodian setting.
You have created some brilliant links, Helen. Some of these books sound intriguing.
Thank you, Sandra. I’m glad you’re intrigued!
I’ve read the first three in your chain and found them all very moving. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon is an excellent travelogue, hope you enjoy it – I opted for a really literal ‘travel book’, namely a travel guide.
I was going to begin with an actual travel guide until I started reading Black Lamb and Grey Falcon and decided to go down that route instead. I’m enjoying the book so far but the length is quite daunting!
I so loved The Ghost Theatre, and have been meaning to read some Vlautin for ages. Nice chain.
That’s the only Vlautin book I’ve read but I enjoyed it so should really look for more of them!
I saw and enjoyed War Horse on stage in Cardiff but not read the book, partly because I was underwhelmed by one of Murpurgo’s kids novels I read decades ago (Arthur, High King of Britain). The rest are quite varied but all are new to me!
Apart from War Horse, I’ve only read one of Morpurgo’s other children’s novels (Twist of Gold) and enjoyed both, but he’s such a prolific author I suppose not all of his books will be up to the same standard!
Interesting chain! I’ve not read the West but I gather Black Lamb and Grey Falcon is still considered one of the best books if you want to understand the Balkans.
I know very little about the history of the Balkans so I’m hoping to learn a lot from the Rebecca West book!
I’m always fascinated to see how other people connect one book to another, and your list does not disappoint! Thanks for introducing me to 6 books I had not heard of before.
Yes, it’s always interesting to see how everyone’s chains go in such different directions. I always find lots of new books to add to my TBR too!
What a good chain! Black Lamb has been on my TBR for a long, long time. You might like the book Miss Ex-Yugoslavia. I’ll link at the end to my review. War Horse was an amazing book. I absolutely loved it and only read it after age 50. Great work! https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2024/02/08/review-miss-ex-yugoslavia-a-memoir-by-sofija-stefanovic/
Black Lamb has been on my TBR for years, so I’m pleased to have finally started it! Thanks for the link to Miss Ex-Yugoslavia. It does sound interesting!
An interesting chain with some enticing looking books. The Sara Nović looks especially interesting. So far, from your choices I’ve only read – and enjoyed – War Horse.
The Sara Nović was fascinating and very moving. I don’t seem to have read very much at all set in Croatia or the other former Yugoslavian countries.
I’m a member of that club too.
The West is so daunting, isn’t it? But I really want to read it!
It’s definitely a big commitment, so I think I’ll be reading it in short doses over the coming months!
Crikey what an interesting chain! I hadn’t heard of the West title and have put it on my list because it’ll be interesting after my Leigh Fermor reading, which I should finish soon!
The West book seems fascinating so far, but the size is daunting and I think it will take me a long time to finish it! I haven’t read anything by Leigh Fermor but would like to.
Girl at War might be good for my book group, although I hated the book set in Croatia that we read several years ago. The silver lining, however, was a Croatian feast made by one of our members (she voted for Trump so not my favorite person but she is a great cook).
Yes, I think Girl at War could be an interesting book for a group to discuss. I hope it will be better than the last Croatian one you read!