August 17, 2025
Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux
A comprehensive biography of the artist Paul Gauguin. Most of us know Gauguin for his paintings from Tahiti and his friendship with Vincent Van Gogh, but his life and work were far wider ranging that that. During his time living in Polynesia, he fought tirelessly for the French to return government rule to the Polynesian peoples, while painting their images in a more natural style than accepted European tradition.
One of Gaugin's self portraits
April 30, 2025
Isola by Allegra Goodman
Marguerite de Rocque was orphaned as a small child. Heir to her family's fortune, her cousin Roberval is appointed her guardian and administrator of her estates. But he squanders her money and sells her manor house to finance one last desperate voyage to the new world, taking Marguerite with him. When she falls in love with his secretary, Roberval abandons them to die on a deserted island near Canada without food or shelter.
I liked this more than I expected that I would, since I frequently hate the books selected by those celebrity and TV book clubs. But I had this on my reading list before Reese Witherspoon picked it, so I decided to read it anyway. Based on the true story of Marguerite de Rocque who lived in 16th century France. Marguerite suffers abandonment in a number of ways, and she lived an interesting life. Brought up to be a pampered lady, she perseveres and survives extreme hardship. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction that focuses on strong women.
January 11, 2025
A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi
Emma and Agathe Delorme are sisters, close friends as children with older sister Emma protecting the more fragile Agathe from their mother, other children, and life in general. As adults with their own lives, they have grown apart but remain united in their love for their grandmother, Mima. When Mima dies, the two sisters come together one last time at her house to reminisce about the time they spent there together and how their grandmother shaped their lives.
The format can be somewhat confusing, with two narrators and two timelines, one of which is always moving. I loved their story but the chapters were confusing and I found myself frequently going back to the beginning of a section to see who was talking and what year is was. While I don't have a sister, I do know about the dynamics of sibling relationships (as I tell my brothers, I know them better than anyone else on this planet). Told with love and frequent humor, painful subjects such as child abuse and mental illness are treated with compassion. Lovely writing and a good translation. You may need tissues at the end. Don't be fooled by the cheery image of the two women on the surfboards on the cover. And yes, a good life is something worth striving for.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
French Basque country
October 13, 2024
Forgotten on Sunday by Valerie Perrin
Justine works as a nursing assistant at an assisted living facility in her small town. She loves her job, and her favorite resident is Helene, an elderly woman with dementia who rarely speaks. But when they are alone, Helene sometimes tells Justine about her life, and that she spends her days at the beach, waiting for her husband and daughter. Justine writes down the story for Helene's family, for when she is gone. Helene's family visits regularly but many of the residents wait in vain on Sundays for a family member or friend to visit - they are forgotten on Sunday. But lately, someone at the facility has been calling the residents' families, telling them that their loved one has passed away. But when the family arrives, they find their family member alive and happy to see them.
I unexpectedly loved this character-driven story, with its parallel timelines and interwoven stories, and themes of family secrets and lost loves. Valerie Perrin is a celebrated French author whose novels have been translated into 30 languages, although this was the first time I read anything by her. Highly recommended for readers of literary fiction.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
June 10, 2024
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Paris 1942 - Eva Traube is a graduate student at the Sorbonne when the Nazis begin to round up the Jews of Paris. Eva's father is arrested by the Nazis, but Eva and her mother escape to the Vichy area which was technically Free France. Eva begins to work with the French resistance, forging documents to help Jewish children escape to Switzerland. But the work becomes increasingly dangerous, and Eva soon finds herself immersed in more clandestine activities.
I was off World War II fiction for a while because there was SOOOOO much of it, but I'm glad I read this one. I really liked the story line and most of the characters, except for Eva's mother. The mother is beyond annoying - she ruined a lot of the book for me (partially because I could hear my own mother's voice in a lot of what she said). If you can, skip any scenes that focus on Eva's mother - I think the author could have left her out altogether without any detriment to the narrative, since Eva had plenty of challenges without her. Recommended to readers who enjoyed The Nightingale or the Alice Network.
Resistance fighters in France
May 11, 2024
Joan by Katherine J. Chen
Biographical fiction about Joan of Arc. Very well written. Joan was an independent, autonomous young woman who went against the prevailing beliefs and expectations about how women should act - reminded me of Anne Boleyn whose only crimes were being smart, educated, and not taking crap from men. Will appeal to readers of well-researched historical fiction about strong women.
Miniature of Joan of Arc, which may or may not be accurate
April 29, 2024
The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray
When her grandmother refuses to pay for her final year of college, Annabel Falcone travels from America to the French Riviera to work at her uncle's hotel. It's August 1939, and the first ever Cannes Film Festival is about to get underway, with celebrities, athletes, and actors from all over the world in attendance. When a German tennis star is found dead in his hotel room, Annabel begins to suspect that there is more going on than just a big celebrity party.
Inspired by real events and the first failed Cannes Film Festival. Slow moving Anna plot that takes a long time to get anywhere. Also, Annabel is kind of bland. There are almost too many famous names dropped into the story. If you read everything about the golden age of Hollywood, you will probably enjoy this one. If not, maybe skip it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
French Riviera
November 16, 2023
Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin
Pablo Picasso changed women like some men change their clothes. Nobody was off limits, and he didn't care if he hurt his wife Olga or whoever was his current mistress. He looked upon these women as his muses, his inspiration, and if he was going to paint a woman, he was also going to have sex with her. When aspiring journalist Alan Olsen receives an assignment from an art magazine to write something new about Picasso, she gets more than she bargained for.
I really liked Mackin's previous book The Last Collection, about Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. I didn't find this one quite so compelling, probably because I'm not a huge Picasso fan. I found the last third of the book to be predictable, no surprises here, and I found myself doing a lot of skimming. If you're a big Picasso fan or read only historical fiction, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're a woman, you'll probably think Picasso was a real jerk who used women and then tossed them aside. Just saying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
Irene Lagut, an artist who was a contemporary of Picasso and also one of his lovers
November 4, 2023
Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne by Rebecca Rosenberg
After her husband's sudden death, Madame Alexandrine Pommery discovered that they were seriously in debt. To support her family, she decided to sell off her husband's wool business and focus on the winery that he owned as a side business. But instead of making the blended red wine he always sold, she decided she would focus on making a new type of champagne, a vintage that was less sweet and more refreshing, that could be consumed anytime rather than only with dessert.
Fascinating look at a lesser known historical figure, a woman who changed the world of champagne making and how we enjoy champagne today. Before Madame Pommery began her winery, the champagne of her day was more like what we call asti spumanti today. I really enjoy sparking wines like pro secco and champagne, so I found this fictional biography quite interesting. On the cover of the book, note that she is leaning against a champagne coupe - today we usually drink sparkling wine from flutes.
The real Jeanne Alexandrine Pommery
The Pommery Winery in Reims in the Champagne region of France - Madame Pommery wanted a building that looked like a Scottish castle
Pommery champagne - technically only sparkling wine bottled in the Champagne region can legally be called champagne (American vineyards don't pay much attention to this)
February 11, 2023
Before Versailles by Karleen Koen
Louis XIV, later known as the Sun King, became king of France at the age of 21. He was surrounded by a court of dashing young men and beautiful young women. Louis married a Spanish infanta who spoke little French and preferred praying and embroidering to dancing and socializing, leaving Louis and his brother Philippe (known as Monsieur) to hunt, feast, party and engage in romantic intrigue. Louis is at first attracted to his brother's wife, Henriette, but realizes that it is taboo for him to take his brother's wife as his mistress. Louis' first mistress, Louise de la Valliere, came to court to be a lady in waiting to Henriette, and Louis was soon attracted to the lovely modest girl.
The story takes place over four months of Louis' reign. Very good historical fiction, well researched, recommended especially for readers who enjoy historical fiction about royalty.
December 16, 2021
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Evie, her brother Will and Will's friend Tom have been friends since childhood. When Will and Tom are shipped off to serve in France during World War I, Evie promises to write to both of them. Evie is a prolific letter writer, and she also writes to her BFF Alice. Both Alice and Evie want to do more for the war effort than knit socks for the soldiers (despite the protests of their families). Evie gets a job delivering mail and the dreaded telegrams to her community, and she also begins to write a column for the local newspaper about life on the home front and the hardships that the soldiers are enduring in France. Along the way, she and Tom realize that their feelings for each other are stronger than just friendship.
Told through letters between the characters, the book's themes focus on the roles of women during wartime, PTSD (or "shell shock" as it was called then), and the realities of trench warfare. I usually enjoy epistolary fiction (who doesn't like reading someone else's letters?), but this had a little too much romance for me and I found the storyline predictable. But romance readers will love it, especially if they like historical romances.
Epistolary fiction has been around for a long time. Dangerous Liaisons was one of the very early books written in this style. If you want to try another epistolary novel, try The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is set during and just after World War II and is a much better book, IMHO.
November 9, 2021
One by One by Ruth Ware
A corporate retreat goes horribly wrong when a mixed group of co-workers and stockholders find themselves stranded at a luxurious mountain chalet after an avalanche. Normally, it wouldn't be too awful to be stuck at a luxury resort, but the power goes out, the heat goes off, and the food supply is dwindling. Most of the participants already hate each other, and the news that a corporate takeover is in the works doesn't help their feelings for each other. One by one, the group members are being killed off.
I find Ruth Ware's books to be hit or miss - sometimes they're great, and other times they suck. This is not her best. It's yet another riff on Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," except the characters are stuck on a mountain rather than an island. It's also too long - don't publishing houses have editors any more? I know she's a high grossing author but someone should have helped her whack out 50-100 pages of drivel. I also didn't care about any of the characters - most of them are whiny and entitled, and the others are totally weak.
Ruth Ware has a new book that just came out. I'm going to give her one more try. If the next book sucks as bad as this one, I'm done with her and we'll be breaking up.
September 25, 2021
Lucifer's Harvest by Mel Starr
Prince Edward (aka Edward of Woodstock, known to us as the Black Prince) is raising an army to go to France to win back English territory taken by the King of France. Lord Gilbert Talbot is required to provide soldiers for Edward's army, and he wants his surgeon, Master Hugh de Singleton, to accompany him and his men. Hugh's old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is also with the army. When Sir Simon is found dead, Hugh finds himself as both suspect and sleuth as he must work to clear himself of the crime.
Shorter than previous books in the series, but Hugh gets a lot done in fewer pages. Great characters in this series as well as solid historical research. This is the ninth book in the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.
Tomb of Edward of Woodstock
August 18, 2021
Sprinting Through No-Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France by Adin Dobkin
In 1919, close to 70 soldiers-turned-cyclists gathered to hold the Tour de France, which had been suspended for four years because of World War I. They rode down the west coast of France and along the country's borders, through much of what was no-man's land during the war. Their persistence helped reunite a country torn apart by war.
This should have been a lot more interesting than it actually was. I enjoy narrative nonfiction, but the writing was really dry and boring, and I ended up skimming the last half. Too bad, because it could have been an exciting book.
No Man's Land - World War I
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.
