Book review of The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman

The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman

My review today is for The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman, her second historical novel set on the French island of Corsica.

We follow the story of Valeria, meeting her just before her marriage to an older, wealthy widow; a situation she has no say in and one that will take her away from her friends and family, and most notably her younger brother. Set in the latter half of the 1700’s when Corsica was fighting for its independence from Genoa, it is a time when customs and traditions were very different to today and life, for women especially, was very austere.

Her role was to provide the comforts her husband required, to give him children (sons preferably) and to respect him and her family name at all times. After years of marriage and no babies, he becomes ill and despite her best efforts in providing herbal medicines for him, he dies. It is a lonely life for a young widow who has many boundaries; she must not leave the house for the first few years and she must never be seen with another man as to do so would bring shame on her husband’s name and on her family. However, a prophecy on the eve of her marriage seems to predict trouble, but does she have the power to resist?

Valeria is an independent woman, strong of spirit and caring towards those she meets. I admired her tenacity and fight and enjoyed my time with her, although there were many times when her situation seemed so bleak I was torn between not wanting to know what was coming next and not being able to put the book down! When her name is disgraced in the village she must accept the fate that is decided for her, even if her treatment by the village elders is unjust. I don’t want to say too much about her story, it’s best you discover it for yourself, but be warned, it was very emotional in places.

Through this book Vanessa has taught me a lot about Corsican history, their fight for independence and the customs and traditions of the time. It has made me even more determined to visit Corsica; to follow the paths Valeria took over the hills from village to village, to stand by a fountain in a village square and think about the Corsican women from hundreds of years ago fetching their water, to see the old stone forts built during the war for independence and to smell the herb scented hillsides. I feel I know the island a little better now than I did before.

This book would be a perfect read for those of you who enjoy historical fiction where the real trials of life in a different era are expertly woven around love and emotions that have changed little over the years.

The Corsican Widow is released today and is available in ebook and paperback format and links to Amazon can be found below.

You can read Vanessa’s #LazySundayinFrance post here, her #FranceetMoi interview here and my review of her first novel, The House at Zaronza here.

You can find Vanessa on these social media sites:

Frenchlifeblog 

Writingwebsite   

Amazonauthor page

Facebook  

Twitter

8th May 2018, Victory in Europe Day

This morning, as on every 8^th May morning, the anniversary of the day the Second World War came to an end in Europe, our village stopped to remember the lives that were lost. It took a united world to end the war and it was fitting that, as usual, we were a united mixed-race bunch who took the time to remember; French, English, some of us with Irish ancestry, Welsh, and this year, two visiting Americans.

One of the benefits of blogging and sharing your life online is meeting people from the other side of the world, even if it is usually only an online kind of a meet. Today I finally got to meet in person writer and blogger Paulita and her husband Earl, all the way from Ohio, although their journey today to take part in our village remembrance ceremony was only about an hour from their current base on the river Charente. Paulita and Earl are almost halfway through their adult gap year in France, and they have probably visited more locations in the last four months than I have in the last four years so I’m rather jealous. We have been following each other’s blogs for more years than I can remember and as we sat on the terrace of our village bar, just minutes after saying hello, the conversation flowed, and the caffeine made sure we were ready for our walk to the woods.

As well as our village memorial in the square, about two kilometres from the village, in a small clearing in the woods, we have another memorial marking the spot where three young men were shot by the Germans in July of 1944. This year the weather was warm and dry, so some of us decided to walk to the woods for the ceremony and Paulita and Earl joined in too. The maire said a few words and then read out the sad story of 24^th July 1944, taken from ‘Histoire de nos Villages’ by Marcel Daniaud. Three members of the local Resistance were captured in the vicinity that morning and held in a convoy of lorries that was patrolling the area. A local lad spotted the convoy as it passed through our village that evening, and as a refugee from the forced German labour camps he was lucky not to have been seen. The convoy stopped at the corner of the Bois-Cambert woods where the three men, one from our local town, were executed. The gruesome discovery of their bodies was found the next morning by a 19-year-old from a nearby hamlet.

None of them were much older than Ed, a sobering thought for me during the minutes silence that followed, especially as he was stood next to the Maire, and proudly holding the village flag. The ceremony finished off with the Resistance call to arms anthem, Les Chant des Partisans, and then all that remained then was to retrace our steps back to the village, where a kir and aperitif nibbles (from the village boulangerie) were waiting to reward our efforts.

I am so pleased Paulita and Earl were able to share for real a little piece of my French village life. You can follow Paulita's blog here to read more about her adventures in France this year.

Lazy Sunday in France with author Vanessa Couchman

The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman

To celebrate the release next week of The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman, I am delighted Vanessa is joining us today, sharing a #LazySundayinFrance where she is taking us on a day trip to the island of Corsica.

A Lazy Sunday in Corsica by Vanessa Couchman

I’ve lived in southwest France since 1997, but I never cease to be amazed by its rich variety. An ideal Sunday would involve a visit to our favourite local market, at Limogne in Lot, or to a vide-grenier.

This Sunday, however, I’m in Corsica. I can never get enough of this captivating Mediterranean island. The landscape is rugged and magnificent, and Corsica’s history and culture are enthralling. Throughout the island, you uncover dramatic tales of unrequited love, vendettas that have endured for generations and supernatural events.

Corte photo by Vanessa Couchman

Today, we wake in Corte, the island’s heart in the central mountains. The hotel is an elegant former townhouse, with spacious and comfortable rooms. We take full advantage of the self-service breakfast buffet: freshly-squeezed orange juice, croissants, pains au chocolat, delicious fresh bread, fig and plum jams, cold meats and cheeses. We’re going to need the calories.

We fill our rucksacks with cheese, ham and fruit from the épicerie and baguettes from the boulangerie. And, most important, two litres of water each.

Mule track along Tavignanu Valley
photo Vanessa Couchman

We take the ancient mule track along the Tavignanu Valley, a wild and craggy gorge with the river rushing along the bottom. Napoleon Bonaparte’s parents escaped from Corte along this pathway after the Battle of Ponte-Novo in 1769, when the Corsicans’ dreams of an independent republic were shattered by the French. Napoleon’s mother, Laetizia, was pregnant with him when they fled. 

Our destination, some three hours distant, is la passerelle, a bridge that spans the Tavignanu. The mule track offers no shade and we are glad of our hats and the water, since the sun beats down mercilessly. The aromatic scent of the maquis, the undergrowth that covers much of the island, accompanies us.
   

Tavignanu Valley photo Vanessa Couchman

At the bridge, we cool our feet in the river rock pools and demolish our picnic. Breakfast seems a long way away. After lunch, we must return the way we came, for to go on means a night in a refuge and we are too attached to our creature comforts.

Back in Corte, a cold beer in one of the cafés at the end of the Cours Paoli slips down nicely before a shower and a nap. For there’s more to come.

With sharpened appetites, we climb the broad steps to the top of the town, past the former palace of the republic. At the Restaurant U Museu, an aperitif of vin de myrte is followed by Corsican herb pasties, wild boar stew flavoured with myrtilles and a plate of strong Corsican cheeses.

Place Gaffori, Corte photo Vanessa Couchman

No time for coffee. In the church on the Place Gaffori, U Meridianu is holding a concert of Corsican polyphonic music. For me, this ancient, elemental music comes straight from the soul of Corsica. The spiralling, poignant melodies are deeply rooted in Corsica’s unique culture. The mostly Corsican audience listens in reverential silence.

A perfect Sunday in a place that is French but also not French.

Lazy Sunday in France for French Village Diaries ©vanessacouchman2018

Thank you, Jacqui, for having me on your blog.

I will be posting my review for The Corsican Widow next Thursday, but if you've enjoyed Vanessa's descriptions of Corsica here, you will love her novel. 

You can read my review of The House at Zaronza, Vanessa’s first novel set in Corsica here and my France et Moi interview with Vanessa here. Links to Amazon can be found below for her other books.

You can find Vanessa on these social media sites:

Frenchlife blog  

Writing website    

Amazon author page

Facebook   

Twitter

Other books by Vanessa Couchman