My Current Interest

Christmas time at Skeldale House brings endings and beginnings for all “Merry Bloody Christmas” Siegfried compromises his beliefs to save Tristan Now that veterinarians James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) and Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse) have enlisted in the military, Tristan’s brother, Siegfried (Samuel West), will do anything to keep Tristan from going to war. He is even willing to sacrifice the ethics and morals he has held strongly to his entire life. During a run, a horse named River was injured. He is supposed to run a race in a few days, but Siegfried is certain River will not be healed enough to race. This does not go over well with River’s owner, Albert Sebright Saunders (Michael Maloney). Saunders wants River to race and he will do anything to make that happen. He even implies that if Siegfried okays River’s health, Tristan will be removed from the report to duty list. Sending an injured horse out to race goes completely against Siegfried’s belief that the animals t...

Mrs. Hall and Siegfried face their family pasts, and James must decide between family and duty Get ready for hard times ahead. Everyone in these two episodes of All Creatures Great & Small must face an uncertain future. Some must also face their past, which causes them to struggle with who they are and what they have done. “Edward” This fifth episode of the season is so incredibly sad! In some ways it is too sad to watch. Mrs. Hall finally sees her son After years of estrangement, Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) has finally heard from her son, Edward (Conor Deane). He has joined the Navy and has a bit of time to meet his mother at a train station before he must return to duty. It is an invitation Mrs. Hall has been waiting for with all her heart. When Mrs. Hall arrives at the station, Edward is not there. She waits and waits for him, but it is only when she is about to leave that he shows up. They decide to go to a quiet place to talk. Past events are brought up between m...

Siegfried battles with his war memories while James struggles to figure out what he is going to do about the upcoming war One of the biggest things I am loving about this third season of All Creatures Great & Small is learning more about who Siegfried is and why he is the way he is. Previously, mostly we just saw him angry, especially in his interactions with his brother, Tristan. This season we are seeing far more than that. “Surviving Siegfried” Siegfried tries to save a horse while dealing with bad wartime memories Behind all of his bluster and temper, veterinarian Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) is actually a very caring man. During World War I he worked with horses and was devastated when he was ordered to kill them at the end of the war. Now at the brink of war again, memories are coming back to Siegfried. He is currently working with a horse who has been traumatized. The owner wants to put the horse, River, down, but Siegfried is certain River will be okay with time a...

The residents of Skeldale House figure out life's changes as James and Helen become a married couple There are so many men to fall in love with on All Creatures Great & Small . Maybe that is why I look forward to a new season every year. It is nice being able to watch good, kind men. The animals are another reason to watch too, of course. “Second Time Lucky” James and Helen finally get married It is time for veterinarian James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) and Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton) to get married. Everyone is excited except for the owner of the veterinary practice at Skeldale House, Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West). He is cranky that James will be gone for a week and has given such little notice. Because, apparently, six months is too little notice. Siegfried must have missed all the wedding planning discussions too, for him to be caught so unaware. The night before the wedding, James; Siegfried; and Siegfried’s brother, Tristan (Callum Woodhouse), all go to the ...

     For quite some time now I have been going through books on my shelf I have never read. It does not matter the age group. I am reading them to see if they are a book I want to keep or donate. A lot I am enjoying, but still deciding to donate in the end. The first three books of the Wild Rose Inn series I am definitely keeping.      The Wild Rose Inn series is a set of books all involving a Massachusetts inn called the Wild Rose Inn. Each book is set in a different period of time, decades apart. All have their own set of characters and events. While each book could technically stand alone, I have enjoyed reading them together. Plus, it makes the occasional reference to a past character all the more understandable. Bridie of the Wild Rose Inn Photo of book cover taken by Kate Dorsey      Bridie of the Wild Rose Inn is the first book in the series. Set in 1695, Bridie MacKenzie is excited to be joining her parents in the Massachusetts...

Grantchester Tom Brittney Photo of DVD cover taken by Kate Dorsey      Talk about a sad, angering season. That is what season six of Grantchester is.      This doesn’t mean the entire season is bad. If it was, I wouldn’t be writing about it!      I also wouldn’t be saying how happy I am Grantchester has moved from six episodes to eight. No matter how sad some of the storylines were this season, I am happy about that.      Curate Leonard Finch (Al Weaver) is the main reason why this season is so sad and angering. His storyline is what makes this season difficult to watch a lot of times. All Leonard wants to do is be a curate and be with the man he loves. And yet, because of one nasty, mean, jealous person, all that is put at risk.      It all starts with a vacation. Reverend William Davenport (Tom Brittney); DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and family; vicarage housekeeper Mrs. Chapman (Tessa Peake-Jone...

     The end of The Book of Lost Names almost made me cry.  I was fine until the last few pages.  Then something happened and I was almost a goner.  It would have been a mix of tears, too.  Because the ending was happy and sad all at the same time.      Eva Traube must escape.   She, her parents, and all the other Jews in 1940s Paris are at risk of being rounded up.   Taken away.   To never be seen again.      Eva tries to warn her father, Leo, about what is going to happen.   She learned about the roundup from a trusted friend, Joseph Pelletier.   But her father will not listen.   Sadly, he is taken early the next morning.   By chance, Eva and her mother escape being captured.   They were across the hall taking care of a neighbor’s children.      Knowing she and her mother, Faiga, need to get out of Paris, Eva goes to her father’s boss for help.   He gives...

     You have no idea how much I would love to see The Victory Garden turned into a film or mini-series.  And you have no idea how much I would love to write the screenplay for it.  That is how good this book is, and how much I loved it.  There is a little bit of a slow start, but once I got past that, I did not want to put this book down.      Emily Bryce is eager to strike out on her own.   While others are off fighting in the war (World War I), she is at home living in luxury.   Emily feels she should be doing something important for the war effort, but doesn’t know what.   So far all she has done is visit the wounded soldiers in the hospital next door, and the few other parent-approved tasks she has been allowed to do.   Her friend, Clarissa, is a nurse.   Her brother, Freddie, died while fighting.   She, herself, has done and sacrificed nothing.      Her parents are the biggest reason why...