Book review of The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn

The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn 

The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn

 

Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love

 

The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.

 

Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.

 

Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.

 

In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.

 

And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begin to shatter…with implications for them all…

The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn 

My Review

This is the second book in a series of four and as I’d not read book one, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I quickly became drawn into the lives of this family and starting partway through the series didn’t spoil my enjoyment. 

 

This book follows three sisters, Celie, Etta and Jessie and their formidable mother, Christina, as they learn to navigate their place in a changing post-war world, following the loss of their father. They may be living different lives, in exotic locations like Canada, Capri and Cairo, having left London to follow their hearts, but they seem to share a curse in their pursuit of happiness, and history has a habit of repeating itself.

 

Etta is dragged into a life of lies and scandals, all in the name of love, and is desperate for an escape. When fate leads her to Paris and the golden era of the 1920’s, she believes she has found what she is searching for. Much as I loved bumping into the Fitzgerald’s and had no trouble conjuring up the roaring 20’s with cameos by Earnest Hemmingway, Josephine Baker and many more, along with the fun and fizz, I felt Etta’s tragedy and heartbreak too.

 

Celie is more down to earth than Etta, but coincidences and chance meetings mean forgetting the life she left behind when she settled in Canada, is more difficult than she imagined. It was her resilience that I admired the most and she was by far my favourite of the four women.

 

Jessie doesn’t have the relationship struggles that her sisters must cope with but living as the British wife of an Egyptian doctor, in a Cairo desperate for independence and with a difficult mother-in-law, life isn’t easy for her either.

 

I enjoyed getting to know these independent and stubborn women and discovering their strengths, ambitions, and weaknesses as I was entertained by their very different lives. Whilst women might have proved their worth during the war years, men were now doing their best to regain control. These women were adamant their voices would be heard.  

This book offered a lot more than just the intriguing family dramas as I had my eyes opened to bits of history I wasn’t aware of, from Egyptian independence struggles to the post war settlers in Canada and the harsh lives that awaited them. It’s ending felt more like an interval pause than a conclusion, but that has left me ready to jump back into the drama I am sure will be waiting in book three.

If you enjoy historical family sagas and especially the 1920’s, a decade that promised so much, I am sure you will be as drawn in as I was by The Paris Sister.

 

Purchase Links

 

Amazon UK 

Amazon US 

Adrienne Chinn 

 

Author Bio

 

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, a timeslip love story set in Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, will be published in February 2023.

 

Social Media Links   

 

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Website 

The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn

 

Waving farewell to a wild January

Coffee and croissants in Chef-Boutonne

Au revoir January

We have reached the last Sunday in January and I’m ready to bid it au revoir. Looking back in my diary I can’t quite believe what we have managed to fit in, although I guess being busy has helped the time pass quickly.

 

The January weather has treated us a bit of everything. We guessed the ferry crossing to Dieppe was going to be rough when we found a plentiful pile of sick bags in our cabin. It was a cacophony of booms, groans and creaks, rattles, crashes and lurches, but surprisingly calm cocooned in the dark of the cabin. The closer we got to France, the calmer the water and my mind. Back home, we’ve had torrential rain that left fields and ditches flooded and overflowing, hurricane Gérard who blew in with gale force winds of 100km/hour, and a week later, snow heavy enough to settle, although it didn’t hang around for too long. The only thing we have been missing are the cold and crisp days with blue skies and sunshine – our favourite winter days.

Brompton touring in Bristol

 

This year we are planning some sparkling adventures to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary, but can we succeed in getting away at least once a month for a cycling mini break? The maps are out, our Bromptons are fully loaded, and we plan to use them - with at least one cycle tour every month, whatever the weather, that must include at least one night away and at least one hundred kilometres of pedalling. Having spent three weeks in the UK over Christmas and New Year, we wasted no time in ticking off January’s challenge with a three night, one hundred-and nine-kilometre getaway in Bath and Bristol at the beginning of the month. We were blinded by bright sunlight on our way into Bath, soaked to the skin the following morning, tossed around by a stiff coastal wind in Portishead and cycled up lanes flowing like a river, but I can’t think of a better way to have started the year. It certainly beat what was waiting for us on our return to France.

 

The French health service is big on screening and now I’m in my (early) fifties, I’m on their lists. Last January it was the mammogram and ultra-sound, followed by a recall, as nothing is ever normal with me. Thankfully in March, after a bit more squishing and poking, I was given the all-clear. Before Dad was diagnosed with liver cancer, he’d had some polyps removed from his colon. Our doctor was adamant that this meant there would be no bowel cancer self-test to post off for me, so I was sent directly to a gastroenterologist and a colonoscopy was booked. Life got a bit hectic towards the latter part of last year, so I rearranged my October appointment, for January. What kind of idiot puts their bowel under scrutiny following three weeks of festive indulging with family? That would be me.

 

Within a week of returning home, I was following the dullest diet imaginable, avoiding all the foods I was craving, fruits, nuts, chickpeas, lentils, vegetables. It was almost more of a struggle to stomach than the cocktail of laxatives that was dinner the night before the proceedure, almost. I’m delighted to report my colon is in tip-top condition, scoring 9/9 on the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale, and there were no pesky polyps to deal with. I’m now the proud owner of a fab set of colour colon photos too, but I won’t share them here.

 

Ed performing at Chansons d'un Soir, Poitiers

 

It was a relief to get it over and done with, especially as we’d not met up with Ed and Pearl, or any of our local friends, to reduce the risk of catching covid. Ed came home to cook for us the day of the colonoscopy (isn’t he lovely), and this week we spent an evening with them in Poitiers, watching him perform at a music school event ‘Chansons d’un Soir’. You have no idea how proud I was, watching him playing the guitar and singing, switching effortlessly from French to English and back again.

Sunday dinner at Le Canton, Longré

 

Last weekend we belatedly celebrated Christmas with our friends, dining out at a local restaurant and following that with an afternoon of fun and games. Research suggests that in order to keep our brains active and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, socialising with friends, playing games, reading and writing are just as important as lifestyle choices of regular exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation. Seeing as we cycled to the lunch, which was delicious and sensibly portioned, I think we ticked all the boxes there.

 

We have also slipped back into the comforting routine of cycling to Chef-Boutonne for the Saturday morning market. It’s not the vibrant, bustling event of the summer, but the fresh air, rosy cheeks and meeting friends for coffee and croissants makes it the perfect way to start the weekend. 

The sun is shining today, so my fingers are crossed that February will be welcomed in with crisp, clear sunny days to put a smile on my face.

French public and school holidays 2023

French public and school holidays 2023

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year to you all. 

 

As has become a tradition for 1^st January, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2023. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2023

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an (a Sunday this year)

9^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

10^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

18^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 19^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

29^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 (a Saturday this year)

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

Faire le pont

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

11^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 11^th January to 7^th February 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

21^st February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

26^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here)

2^nd April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance

2^nd June, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins, often celebrated in France with shared meals

4^th June, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

18^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

28^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 25^th July

1^st July to 23^rd July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Bilbao, Spain, and a finish on the Champs-Elysées in Paris

23^rd July to 30^th July, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Clermont-Ferrand and finishes in Pau  

29^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although the future of this is up for debate)

Vacances scolaires 2023 service-public.fr

 

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2023:

The winter holiday is from 3^rd February to 6^th March. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 7^th April to 9^th May. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 7^th July until 4^th September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 20^th October to 6^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 22^nd December to 7^th January 2024.

 

Covid-19 has evolved from something that stopped the world to something we all need to live with. As I write this, overseas travel is pretty much back to normal, although we are still much happier wearing our masks when using public transport. Here is to lots of safe travel adventures in France this year and I hope you find this useful for planning your trip in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

  

Advent Day Twenty-four, it's a wrap

Advent Day Twenty-four, it's a wrap

Advent Day Twenty-four

It’s a wrap

Writing is my way of coping when things get a little frantic and out of control, so these daily advent posts have helped me remain calm and focussed in the run up to Christmas, and I hope you have enjoyed them. 

 

Making memories

There were two main reasons I started writing this blog over fifteen years ago. One was to keep family and friends in the UK up to date with our new life in France and the other was to ensure I didn’t forget the adventures we were having. During the pandemic, it felt even more important to record what we did each day during lockdown, and how we were coping. As the months moved on, it was easy to forget those extraordinary early days.

 

Ed has always been relaxed about having his life, since he was about five years old, shared, which I’m really grateful about, and he’s inspired another story. A few weeks ago, he called on a Monday night to say he’d just tested positive for Covid-19, but not to panic as he was feeling fine and better than he had over the weekend when his mild cold-like symptoms began. Luckily it was a video call, and it was reassuring to see that he didn’t look or sound poorly. 

 

A few days later he messaged again, to say he was reading through some of my old blog posts – I suppose you have to find something to fill your days when you are isolating. When I asked him which ones, he replied he'd searched for his name on the blog and was happily reading through some of the posts this had offered, many going back ten years or so. When I asked why, he simply said, “because they are my memories too and I've already forgotten some of the things, like a big storm the day I started boarding at lycée”. 

 

You have no idea how happy this made me, and it reinforced the importance of keeping some form of diary, especially to record the everyday events that are easy to forget. 

 

All that is left for me to say now is that I hope you have a lovely Christmas, wherever in the world you are, and you get to make lots of memories with those you love. For my friends over in the US hit by the extreme weather, I’m sending you warm thoughts and lots of love. Stay safe.

Happy Christmas 

Happy Christmas

Advent Day Twenty-three, seeing the light

Christmas lights

Advent Day Twenty-three

Seeing the light

Light is important at this time of year, and with the solstice this week, we (in the northern hemisphere) can celebrate those precious extra minutes of daylight each day. In the nativity, it was a bright light that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and even with the energy crisis, Christmas lights are popping up everywhere. These can be anything from a simple advent candle to a house and garden flashing away and visible from space. In the last few weeks, my Mum has attended a couple of Light up a Life services where candles have been lit to remember loved ones who have died this year.

 

A December rainbow

Our region of France has a small number of unusual historical features called lanternes des morts. These lanterns are tall, thin needles of stone with a cross and an opening at the top, that date from the 11^th to 13^th centuries. Traditionally found in cemeteries, they were lit when someone died and are thought to have helped guide the soul to its final place of rest. Many were destroyed during the Revolution and others were lost when the original cemeteries they were constructed in were moved to larger plots further out of town, meaning those still in existence are quite rare. There is one in a cemetery in Poitiers that when we drove past it this week, I noticed was lit. As there is still quite a lot unknown about them, I find them fascinating and will always try to detour a bike ride to visit one.

 

La Souterraine Lanterne des Morts

This year we have also seen the one in La Souterraine, in the Creuse and Sarlat, in the Dordogne. In La Souterraine, the lantern is fairly typical, with a hexagonal column, topped by a pyramid and a cross and set in the centre of the cemetery, although it’s only been in this location since 1850.

Sarlat Lanterne des Morts

 

The one in Sarlat differs to most of the others we have come across as it has a domed roof, typical of the Perigordian church turrets, and is much larger and more rounded. It is said to have been built to commemorate the miracle of Saint Bernard de Clairvaux and the healing loaves. Returning from the crusades, according to the legend, St Bernard passed through Sarlat and blessed bread that went on to cure the sick or injured who ate it. It is certainly worth a visit if you are in Sarlat.

 

I’ve had a lightbulb moment this week and am now convinced that not only do I feel better and sleep better if I’ve been out on the bike, but that there is also a direct correlation between pedalling and my brain’s ability to remember things. Basically, for every day without a bike ride, my brain cells are dying off - eek!

 

On this day in 1888 Vincent Van Gogh cut off his left ear. Was it madness or because of an argument with Paul Gauguin? Or maybe it was the stress of Christmas that drove him to it, or simply the fact that he hadn’t been out on his bike.