Book review of The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey

The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey

The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey

 

Vianne rushes through the crowded streets of Paris as the German bombs begin to fall. As she rounds the corner she sees the familiar spires of the old church burst into flames. Too late, she realizes that her mother and sister are trapped inside…

Paris, 1918. The end of war is in sight, and young seamstress Vianne Mercier is longing for the day when she can stop sewing military uniforms and start creating the beautiful dresses that she has been dreaming up in her head.

But just when it seems like peace is within reach, Vianne’s mother and sister are killed in a terrible air raid. To make matters worse, Vianne’s brother has returned home a changed man. Controlling and cruel, he presents Vianne with an ultimatum; give up her dreams of becoming a designer, or be forced onto the streets, penniless and alone.

With nothing left for her in Paris but sad memories, she decides to sail for New York. Determined not to look back, she throws herself into her new life—spending her days sewing dresses for wealthy Upper East Side women, and her evenings dancing the Charleston to Duke Ellington in the new downtown clubs. When Vianne meets handsome Italian Giorgio Conti, he encourages her career, and she feels safe for the first time since she lost her family.

Then news of a terrible accident compels Vianne to suddenly return to France, where she discovers proof of a wartime secret that changes everything she thought she knew about her family. Facing the threat of sickness and ruin, the people who forced Vianne out of her home now suddenly need her help.

Will Vianne find the courage to follow her heart, return to New York and her life with Giorgio? Or will duty bind her to the family she had left behind and force her to remain in France?

From Amazon Charts bestseller Ella Carey comes an utterly gripping and emotional historical wartime novel about the terrible choices people made during humanity’s darkest days. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and The Nightingale will adore this novel.

 

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My review 

Having enjoyed other novels by Ella Carey, I was looking forward to being back in her take on historical Paris, and I wasn’t disappointed. I took to Vianne straight away. I felt the love of her parents, the sadness at her loss and the hurt when she is left to fend for herself. The pain and trauma of the First World War haunting her memories of a happy childhood in Paris. It is her determination and ambition to design beautiful dresses that drives her forward, and I felt the excitement, following her journey from Paris to New York, where life is full of new promises for new beginnings. 

 

Pushing her grief to a hidden place inside, Vianne embraces all New York has to offer, the hard work and new friendships, as well as the temptations. However, her past in Paris is not quite what she thinks it is and once we got a first taste of the mystery unfolding, I devoured the pages to discover the truth. Family secrets, no matter how many miles divide, have a habit of coming back.

 

Vianne was one of those characters who I really wanted to do well, to overcome the odds stacked against her and become a success in the world of couture. I loved the descriptions of the cut and flow of the gowns, the beading and the sequins, and reading this book, I felt the 1920’s fashion era come to life. 

 

This book will take you from Paris to New York and the Highlands of Scotland, with some unexpected twists and mysteries to be unravelled. The more you read, the more the surprise names turn up. 

 

Despite the traumas this book has a beautiful message and is a must read for those who have a thing for the 1920’s, fashion, romance and family dramas. It’s another great read from Ella Carey.

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Ella Carey

 

Author Bio

 

Ella Carey is the USA Today and Amazon charts bestselling author of eight novels of historical fiction, including the Secrets of Paris Series, published with Hachette imprint, Bookouture. Ella’s novels have reached over one million readers and have been translated into fourteen languages. Ella has recently signed a six book deal in Germany and a nine book deal in Denmark. Ella’s latest novels are A New York Secret, and The Lost Girl of Berlin, both published with Bookouture in 2021. The Girl from Paris is the third novel in this new series, and will publish in January, 2022. Ella has a music degree in classical piano, and an arts degree majoring in English and history. Her novels have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. 

 

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Book review of The Mersey Angels by Sheila Riley

The Mersey Angels by Sheila Riley

The Mersey Angels by Sheila Riley

 

1916 LIVERPOOL

Following the death of her father, Ruby Swift, and husband Archie finally move back into Ashland Hall.

 

As the Great War rages, fathers and sons take the King's Shilling and head off to fight the unknown enemy, not knowing what horrors lie ahead. 

With Ned Kincaid in the Navy, Archie signs up to the volunteer constabulary and nurses Anna Cassidy and Ellie Harrington enlist to do their bit for King and Country. 

 

Soon the true casualties of war are being brought home in droves, Ruby converts Ashland Hall into an auxiliary hospital for wounded servicemen.

It’s not long before the true cost of war is brought closer to home and Anna and Ellie enlist in the British Military Nursing Corp and soon find themselves in the battlefields of France in search of the truth.

But they soon discover more than they bargained for...

 

The Mersey Angels book tour

My review

Nurses and best friends, Anna and Ellie, soon find doing their bit for the war effort at Ashland Hall with Aunt Ruby isn’t enough. For many reasons they want to help in the field hospitals in France. Anna has a troubled past and in order to make peace with her future, needs to do what she can to get to France, even if it’s a million to one chance she’ll find her brother Sam there.

 

The two girls couldn’t be more different, but I found both were characters who kept my interest. They were strong, followed their hearts, but were not afraid of hard work. They met the horrors and losses they saw on the battlefields with real Liverpudlian grit and determination, never losing their focus.

 

Alongside the personal dramas, I also enjoyed the social history aspect to this novel. From the converting of grand manor houses to recuperation hospitals, to the rise of women in the workforce and the poverty portrayed in the Liverpool dock vignettes, as well as the horrific conditions of the mud-filled trenches of France. 

There was a lot to like if you are a historical fiction fan like I am.

 

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, which introduces eccentric Aunt Ruby and Anna’s tragic childhood story, and although I felt a bit lost at the beginning, I soon caught up and enjoyed following her journey. I would, however, recommend starting with The Mersey Mistress.

 

If you enjoy historical dramas with a real sense of place, I’m sure you will like this series.

 

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Sheila Riley

 

Author Bio 

Sheila Riley wrote four #1 bestselling novels under the pseudonym Annie Groves and is now writing a new saga trilogy for Boldwood under her own name. She has set it around the River Mersey and its docklands near to where she spent her early years. She still lives in Liverpool. Her new trilogy began with The Mersey Orphan in September 2019.

 

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French Village Diaries book reviews on a French theme

Book review of Until We Can Forgive by Rosemary Goodacre

Until We Can Forgive by Rosemary Goodacre

Until We Can Forgive

They survived the Great War, but will life ever be the same?

Spring 1919: WW1 is over and a fragile peace has descended over the country. Now living in Cambridge with husband Edmond, Amy Derwent is settling into her new life as wife and mother to little Beth. But the shadow of the Great War looms large, particularly as the injuries Edmond sustained at Ypres still take their toll on him today.

Edmond’s cousin, Vicky, has now grown into a fine young woman, eager to help her country. Throwing off her privileged background to train as a nurse, she spends her days tending to the many soldiers still suffering the after-effects of their time on the battlefield.

Meeting Maxim Duclos, a young Frenchman who has arrived in Larchbury, fills her heart with joy - but when it is discovered that Maxim may be hiding the truth about his past, Vicky is faced with an impossible choice. Follow her heart’s desire and risk her family’s disapproval or keep her family – but deny herself the chance of true love?

The war may be over, but Edmond, Amy and Vicky must all face a new battle, finding their own peace in a country wounded by loss.

Until We Can Forgive by Rosemary Goodacre

My review

Until We Can Forgive, the third book in the Derwent Chronicles trilogy, follows straight on from Until The War is Over, and we are back with Amy, Edmond and their daughter Beth who are settling into life in Cambridge. Edmond is at university, studying for his future, despite still recovering from his injuries sustained in Ypres, while Amy is delighted her little family are finally able to be together. 

The gentle language of this book perfectly fits with the period it is written about, portraying life in Britain as it enters the 1920’s. The war is over, but things will never be the same as they were before and lots of young men are still commissioned, working away in France or Germany. Back in Larchbury, where Edmond and Beth grew up, many families are grieving the loss of a son and there is divided opinion on the Germans. While some feel there needs to be peace between nations, others can’t bring themselves to forgive and foreigners are treated with suspicion. When a young French chef arrives, his accent and foreign ways make some uneasy, but with a few friends and a growing fondness for Edmond’s cousin Vicky, he does his best to settle in, until a scandal about his past comes to light. The villagers are quick to decide his fate, jumping to their own conclusions with little understanding of the facts.

The young people we have been following throughout the trilogy are doing their best to settle into the new period. There are weddings, babies and choices to be made that pre-war would have been unthinkable. Daughters falling in love and being determined to follow their heart rather than the social protocol they have been brought up with. Married women who have experienced the independence of working, now wanting more than just being a housewife and mother. It is not always easy for the older generation to understand.

Their war is over, but they still find themselves in difficult situations, facing loss, grief and tough decisions. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into life at this time as we followed their journeys, including an emotional visit to a cemetery in France.

If you enjoy historical fiction, do give this trilogy a go.

You can read my reviews of books one and two here:

Until We Meet Again

Until the War is Over

 

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Rosemary Goodacre

Author Bio 

Rosemary Goodacre is thrilled to have a three book deal with Hera Books. Her World War I romance Until We Meet Again will be released on 31/10/19. Her heroine, Amy, faces many challenges as she works as a nurse and struggles to spend time with Edmond, her sweetheart.
Previously Rosemary has had a novella published, entitled A Fortnight is not Enough, and a science fiction story in the anthology Telescoping Time.
Rosemary has always loved languages and travel, mainly in Europe. In her spare time she enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives in Kent, England.

Blog tour Until We Can Forgive by Rosemary Goodacre

Book review of Until the War is Over by Rosemary Goodacre

Until the War is Over by Rosemary Goodacre

Until the War is Over by Rosemary Goodacre

Book Description:

In a world destroyed by war, can hope survive?

Summer 1918: Young couple Amy and Edmond Derwent, after their experiences on the front line of battle – Edmond as an officer and Amy as a VAD in France - have now settled back in England and are starting to build a life as a family, with the arrival of baby Beth bringing them much-needed joy. But while she may have married into the wealthy Derwent family, now living with her in-laws in their grand home, Amy’s modest upbringing means that she is never truly accepted by Edmond’s family.

The Great War rages on, and while the men are off fighting, those left at home steel themselves for tragic news, praying that their loved ones return safely.

Edmond, still struggling with the effects of the injury he sustained at Ypres, feels the guilt of remaining at home while his friends are sent into battle. But life at Larchbury is not without its own problems – as food becomes scarce, and the Spanish Influenza causes deaths throughout England, tragedy strikes closer to home and it seems no one is safe from heartbreak.

Can Amy and Edmond keep their love strong, even in a world crumbling all around them?

A captivating family saga set in WW1 about the power of love amongst the heartbreak of war – if you like Rosie Goodwin, Katie Flynn and Val Wood, you’ll be swept away by this engrossing, emotional novel.

Blog Tour Until the War is Over Rosemary Goodacre

My Review:

Having enjoyed book one in this series, Until We Meet Again, I was looking forward to following on Edmond and Amy’s story now their daughter Beth has arrived. With Edmond injured in battle, Amy’s weak ankle and baby Beth to care for, active service days are over for the couple, who had both previously been posted to the battlefields of France. Settling back into life at the Derwent manor house in Larchbury, despite its modest luxuries, isn’t easy as they have experienced things the rest of the family could never imagine. They also both still have friends and family serving, and every day brings fearful news from the Front, about lives changed forever.

Edmond is determined to regain his strength enough to enable him to continue his university degree at Cambridge, that he gave up as war began. The plan is for Amy and Beth to join him there, but once again the couple experience a number of setbacks that see them spending time apart. Amy’s nursing experience is needed at home, where things aren’t easy for the Derwent’s, including Edmond’s spoilt sister Beatrice, whose decisions don’t always sit well with some of her family.

I loved the gentle pace of this book and its accurate portrayal of the era. We are no longer experiencing as much direct action from the Front as we did in the first book, but life is a long way from normal for everyone and the slow process to readjust their lives came across well. There are sensitive issues covered, including coming to terms with life-changing war wounds, civilian losses in the London air raids and the Spanish flu pandemic, the severity of which really hit home in the current virus situation we are living with. 

It was lovely to be back with Amy, Edmond and Beth and I’m looking forward to the final book in the series. I am sure those of you who enjoy reading historical novels and family sagas will find a lot to like in this book.

Rosemary Goodacre

Author Bio:

Rosemary Goodacre is thrilled to have a three book deal with Hera Books. Her World War I romance Until We Meet Again was published on 31/10/19.
Previously Rosemary has had a novella published, entitled A Fortnight is not Enough, and a science fiction story in the anthology Telescoping Time.
Rosemary has always loved languages and travel, mainly in Europe. In her spare time she enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives in Kent, England.

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Book review for Until We Meet Again by Rosemary Goodacre

Until We Meet Again by Rosemary Goodacre

Until We Meet AgainSynopsis:

The Great War drove them apart – but love kept them together

Summer 1914: Shy young woman, Amy Fletcher, lives a quiet life in Sussex. An office worker, she lives at home, along with her parents and spirited younger brother, Bertie. But her life is transformed when she meets handsome young man, Edmond Derwent, son of one of the wealthiest families in the small town of Larchbury, and student at Cambridge University.

The couple are falling deeply in love when war breaks out and, eager to do his duty for England, Edmond signs up as an officer. The couple plan to be wed, eager to start a new life together - but their happiness is short-lived when Edmond is sent to Flanders to lead his men into battle. Amy trains as a VAD nurse and is soon sent to France, where she sees the true horror of war inflicted on the brave young men sent to fight.

Separated by war, Edmond and Amy share their feelings through emotional letters sent from the front line. But when Edmond is critically wounded at Ypres, their love faces the biggest test of all – can their love stay strong while the world around them is crumbling?

A romantic, emotional saga set in WW1 – readers of Rosie Goodwin, Katie Flynn and Val Wood will be captivated by this story of love.

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My Review:

What struck me immediately with this novel was the perfect sense of time. We meet Amy just before the outbreak of the First World War, a young lady working in an office, the daughter of a school master, but with strong views on Votes for Women. Tea is taken in the afternoon, the parlour used for guests and young couples walk out together. Life is calm and everyone knows their place in society. 

Life is soon to change dramatically for Amy. She becomes involved in a local suffragette group and her involvement at a protest will return to haunt her more than once. She attracts the attention of Edmond, second son of the Derwents, the local family in the large manor house. With the onset of war and Edmond signed up to fight for his country, a marriage is arranged, despite his mother’s reservations.

Their time together is limited, but when Amy signs up to be a VAD nurse, as soon as she has completed her basic training she too is sent to France, to work at a hospital near the front line. As the story follows her work at the hospital, Edmond’s time in the trenches and their snatched days of leave together, we never know if each heartfelt letter or meet will be their last.

This book tells their story with feeling. There are many emotional scenes of love and grief, and the changing dynamics of life pre and post war is portrayed well. I liked the characters, especially Amy, who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and think outside the framework of what was perceived to be normal and right for her.

If you enjoy historical fiction, then I’m sure you will love Until We Meet Again. I’m looking forward to returning to the Derwents for the next book in the series.

Rosemary Goodacre

Author Bio:

Rosemary Goodacre has previously worked in computing and teaching. She has had short stories published and a novella, A Fortnight is not Enough.

Her father's family came from continental Europe and she loves travelling.
She enjoys country walking, bridge and classical music. She lives with her husband in Kent, England. 

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Poitiers Insolite

Floral display Parc de Blossac, Poitiers

Poitiers Insolite (Unusual)

We recently found ourselves in Poitiers with an afternoon to spare. As we had the bikes with us, and for once it wasn’t raining, a bimble to some of our favourite places, with a few new sights too, seemed to be the perfect idea.

Floral snake, Poitiers

Our first stop was the Parc de Blossac where the winter floral displays were looking beautiful. With Toussaint (1^st November, All Saints Day) approaching, the florists of France are alive with chrysanthemums in the rich colours of autumn. We are not the only Brits in France to have received odd looks from our French neighbours as we’ve decorated our gardens with these beautiful displays - that the French reserve for the cemeteries and gardens of remembrance on All Saints Day. However, the municipal gardeners of Poitiers seem to have followed our lead as not only were the flower beds full of colourful chrysanthemums, but a floral snake sculpture has appeared just outside the Parc de Blossac too.

 

Travérsees \ Kimsooja contemporary art Poitiers

We then crossed the town centre, where there is currently a multi-location contemporary art exhibition in place, the Traversées \ Kimsooja. In my opinion, it is art, but not as I know it, but some of the pieces certainly got us talking about them! 

Palais du Justice, Poitiers

One benefit of the exhibition is that the old Palais du Justise (court house) that was once Eleanor of Aquitaine’s residence in the 12^th century and has been closed to the public for over 30 years, is now open. The grand hall, (salle des pas perdus – hall of the lost footsteps) with its impressive windows and fireplaces would certainly have been some place for a medieval banquet. 

 

River Clain, Poitiers

We then joined the river Clain to the north of the town, where quiet roads took us through residential areas. 

 

Hollyhocks in October

I was delighted to find hollyhocks still in bloom at the end of October.

 

Tour de France 2020, finish line in Poitiers

We then decided on a mission to find the newly installed signage that marks the finish line for when the Tour de France will arrive in Poitiers on 8^th July 2020. Cav, if you are reading this, it will be a slightly uphill sprint finish, on a wide section of the ring road, that I hope will have been resurfaced before you race here. I won’t be camping out just yet, but certainly plan to be there on the day.

 

Lanterne des Morts, Poitiers

With Toussaint so close, we took a detour through the cemetery, where as well as many family mausoleums and chrysanthemums we found a French military cemetery with a Lanterne des Morts as its centrepiece. Les Lanternes des Morts, or Lanterns of the Dead are a peculiar feature, found in only a handful of locations in our area of France. In fact, there are only 36 lanternes left in the whole of France that survived the Revolution (and the subsequent administrative destruction) and 11 of these are in the old region of Poitou-Charentes, with the remainder in the Aquitane. These needles of stone, built between the 11^th and 13^th centuries, sit near the church or in the cemetery and are a symbol of remembrance to those we have lost. At the top is a cross and an opening and at the bottom, a door where a lamp was placed. The lamp was lit at each death and only extinguished once the burial had taken place. They are always positioned so the opening looks towards the east and the direction of the sun rise, as a symbol of resurrection. I’ve been lucky enough to see a few of those that remain and find them fascinating. 

Next to the French cemetery was an area of German military crosses; the final resting place of 104 German soldiers who died as prisoners of war in Poitiers, during the First World War. We were both quite shocked to see so many crosses in a cemetery so far from the Front Line and battlefields.

 

Pierre-Levée, Poitiers

Our route back towards the cathedral took us past an ancient stone, or Pierre-Levée that has been classified as an historical monument since 1862. This large broken slab supported by three pillars is the remains of an ancient dolmen, a megalithic monument used as a burial chamber.

 

Traversées \ Kimsooja, Poitiers

Right outside Ed’s place is another art installation from the Traversées \ Kimsooja exhibition. This igloo-like frame is covered in life jackets and represents an emergency dwelling where protections at sea are turned into shelters on land. Designed by an architecture student who has helped with humanitarian work in Lesbos, Greece and invented the shelter based on the life vests found on the island’s beaches.

Our short 13km bike tour certainly took in the unusual and with megalithic stones, 12^th century palaces and First World War graves, to modern art depicting the current migration crisis, floral displays and a cycle race still eight months away, was probably as varied as it’s possible to get.

The blog has been more than quiet recently, but then as our lives hurtled towards the 31^st October Brexit deadline; neither my mood nor heart were in the right place. We now have another reprieve to 31^st January 2020, which although drags on the uncertainty we have lived with since June 2016, I would much rather leave with a fully formed plan in place than crash out with no deal.