The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey
The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey
Paris, 1940: Marie-Claire steps into the Gare de Lyon, not knowing it will be the last time she'll see her husband and son. Fleeing occupied Paris, she travels into the countryside of Normandy, and stumbles upon a chateau near Caen and a growing resistance movement. Soon, Marie-Claire finds herself working in a cafe in the quiet village of Sainte-Mère-Église, where she tries to come to terms with all she has lost – but little does she realise that her presence in Normandy will change the course of history…
1998: Half a century later, Esther is returning to the Normandy village she visited as a teenager, seeking a break from her monotonous life. Back then, she'd fallen in love with a rustic farmhouse and the family that lived there – not least the charming eldest son, Jules Joubert. But now, when Esther discovers an old annotated cookbook in the family kitchen, she begins to realise that the place she holds so close to her heart may hide more secrets than even the Jouberts realise...
What stories does the area carry? And could this trip change Esther’s life for ever?
The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey
My review
This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. It is a dual timeline novel, a format that I love, that followed the lives of two women, Marie-Claire, during the Occupation of France and Esther, a single woman living in Poole in 1990’s. It was Esther’s story that immediately captured my imagination. What was her history with Normandy and more importantly, how would her connection with Marie-Claire reveal itself. She was a character I really enjoyed getting to know as she negotiated some life-changing events.
Marie-Claire’s journey had a far more traumatic beginning as her little family fled the occupying soldiers in Paris. Her husband Benjamin was half Jewish and with no family support, her world dramatically changed in a heartbeat. Finding herself in Normandy, her skills in the kitchen and her burning desire to do anything she could to resist the Germans, gave her a much-needed focus and purpose. Her story was a fascinating one to read with many emotional ups and downs.
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| The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey |
Despite some of the situations the characters found themselves in, this was a gentle read that mixed history with family sagas and life-changing events. There were many shared, extended family times, set around a French farmhouse kitchen table where the food, chatter and love came to life. The female characters especially, were strong and independent, and I admired their resilience to what life threw at them. As the book drew to a close there were a few unexpected twists that added another emotional element and put a smile on my face.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially set during the Occupation, I’m sure you would enjoy this book.
Purchase links
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Amazon link
Ebook – all digital retailers
Rachel Sweasey
Author Bio
Rachel was born to English 10-pound-pom parents in sub-tropical Brisbane, Australia, and when the family moved back to Poole, Dorset, she was just 5 years old. She then grew up against the stunning backdrop of Poole Harbour where she sailed and played on the beaches of Brownsea Island and Studland, and walked across the Purbeck Hills, all of which inspired her imagination and provided the setting of her debut historical fiction novel set in WWII. Since then, Rachel has moved back to Brisbane, Australia.
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