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megs2kool's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
myauntietaytay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
haileym12's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
sillybluebells's review against another edition
2.0
I stuck it out because I really liked the premise and Marianne’s character. Plus, imagining gorgeous Provence in the summertime was an enjoyable break in the middle of the book.
Marianne’s story is compelling, but I don’t understand why the author decided to tell it this way. The potential for moral ambiguity in her decision to poison her customers (most of whom were Nazis) (and the opportunity for readers to engage with this moral struggle) was dashed by the moral judgement made upon her decision and its outcome by her granddaughter incessantly throughout the first 50 pages — « why would she do something so *evil*? » instead of « Why did she do this? » Shocker, it’s because the Nazi officer killed her husband. The plot « twists » were predictable and the character development of everyone except for Marianne was shallow. On top of that, the writing was lazy and seemed poorly edited: repetitive verbiage, too many details in some places — but somehow too much telling and not enough showing — name dropping, clunky dialogue.
The best parts of the book are when the writing is fully focused on Marianne, her inner struggle, her desire to make the world a better place for her daughter. The 1980s retrospective framing with Sabine and Monsieur Geroux doesn’t make sense to me, especially because I didn’t find their characters to be as believable as Marianne. I wish the author had spent more time developing Marianne’s inner moral dilemma — leaving her daughter to find the man who killed her husband — rather than framing the story from the 1980s perspective.
Overall I think this had the potential to be a heart wrenching story about a grieving wife who risks everything to bring down the man who killed her husband, but instead lost me because of its framing as Sabine wanting to know about her long-lost grandmother. Sabine’s character was not developed fully enough to process and carry the weight of her grandmother’s suffering and ultimate moral conflict; I think she was simply a storytelling vehicle that was not necessary to make Marianne’s story compelling.
Marianne’s story is compelling, but I don’t understand why the author decided to tell it this way. The potential for moral ambiguity in her decision to poison her customers (most of whom were Nazis) (and the opportunity for readers to engage with this moral struggle) was dashed by the moral judgement made upon her decision and its outcome by her granddaughter incessantly throughout the first 50 pages — « why would she do something so *evil*? » instead of « Why did she do this? » Shocker, it’s because the Nazi officer killed her husband. The plot « twists » were predictable and the character development of everyone except for Marianne was shallow. On top of that, the writing was lazy and seemed poorly edited: repetitive verbiage, too many details in some places — but somehow too much telling and not enough showing — name dropping, clunky dialogue.
The best parts of the book are when the writing is fully focused on Marianne, her inner struggle, her desire to make the world a better place for her daughter. The 1980s retrospective framing with Sabine and Monsieur Geroux doesn’t make sense to me, especially because I didn’t find their characters to be as believable as Marianne. I wish the author had spent more time developing Marianne’s inner moral dilemma — leaving her daughter to find the man who killed her husband — rather than framing the story from the 1980s perspective.
Overall I think this had the potential to be a heart wrenching story about a grieving wife who risks everything to bring down the man who killed her husband, but instead lost me because of its framing as Sabine wanting to know about her long-lost grandmother. Sabine’s character was not developed fully enough to process and carry the weight of her grandmother’s suffering and ultimate moral conflict; I think she was simply a storytelling vehicle that was not necessary to make Marianne’s story compelling.
booksadoodle's review against another edition
4.0
As many great WWII historical fiction reads, this is set along dual timelines in which Sabine is a restaurant owner in 1944 Paris having to serve the German soldiers. Then one day the restaurant closes, and Sabine disappears. Later, her granddaughter Marianne is left the restaurant by her grandmother, whom she has never met, and soon learns that her grandmother was considered a traitor, and that Marianne is not welcome. When she finds a passport with another name and picture of her grandmother, she begins to uncover much more than she expected. This was a classic historical fiction story where secrets are uncovered during the fight for freedom, and tales of bravery and courage become known. The story was well written, easy to become invested in, and the characters pull you in where you are anxious to see how the tale develops. Graham did a great job of bringing this to life, and should be on the tbr list for lovers of WWII Paris historical fiction. Thanks so much to Lily Graham, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc!
dennyhb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Excellent. Polly Edsell was also excellent as narrator. Very authentic french accent.
history_girl's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
stepheast80's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! It’s beautifully written to make you feel like you know the characters personally and can see everything as if you’ve been there yourself. You feel joy when they feel it and your heart breaks when theirs does. I’ve already recommended this book to anyone who will listen!
lil_t3a's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0