August 4, 2020

I thought that the setting for this book was interesting, and the main character was intriguing. This book also had one of the more unique perspectives that I have ever read in historical fiction.

I liked how it was set in the early 50s, because it allowed for the characters to have feelings and opinions that would be more reflective of just coming out of the war. Setting it in the 60s, for example, would have given a completely different dimension to the characters’ outlook.

I also liked how an NYC publishing house was central to the plot. It made sense for Charlotte’s character, as she was extremely literary. Given her father’s background (and her experiences in WWII Paris) this made sense.

I thought Vivi was also an interesting character, and the author did a good job capturing the questions a young teen girl would have, as well as the impetuous nature of teenagers. I liked her scenes as she was trying to figure out her heritage.

That was one of the interesting twists to this story – the whole question of whether Vivi and Charlotte are Jewish or not is an underlying theme both in Paris and in New York City. It certainly raised some interesting aspects to Charlotte’s actions.

All of that being said, I did feel that it was uneven in some places. Transitions were especially awkward. There were times that Charlotte was clearly in NYC, but all of a sudden was back in Paris. I realize that this could be due to formatting, as I read an ARC on my Kindle, and perhaps these transitions are smoothed out. But there were times I had to re-read a passage just to confirm where the action was occurring.

I also felt that there were some contrived plot points that didn’t entirely fit in the story. I don’t want to give anything away, but there were events and conversations that seemed as if the author thought of them and needed to put them in, rather than having anything to really do with the plot itself.

Overall, I thought there were some interesting points, and the author addressed the issues in post-occupation Paris with clarity and understanding. That’s something that is often overlooked.

Oh, and a special shout out for mentioning the Betsy-Tacy books. That’s still my all-time favorite series in the world, and I loved that it was in this book. For a literary person like Charlotte, I think this means the series is held in high esteem. As it should be.

Author Bio

ELLEN FELDMAN, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of Terrible Virtue, The Unwitting, Next to Love, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank (translated into nine languages), and Lucy. Her novel Terrible Virtue was optioned by Black Bicycle for a feature film.

Buy Links

This is the second book in a row that I was intrigued by, and enjoyed, but still felt like there was something missing.

I could identify with Alys’ outlook on just about everything: her feelings of being unimportant at work (with the work not exactly being fulfilling to begin with), the way she had to run interference between her daughter and her husband, being at a crossroads in her life…all relatable.

Especially that feeling of what might have been. I think every woman who has reached a certain age totally gets that one. Usually, it is in tandem with “the one that got away.” It’s almost that way for Alys, but with a little twist.

I’m not telling what it is (you can read that elsewhere).

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0885VW3LWSocial Apple: https://apple.co/2yr0aMj
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dpp5OU Google: https://bit.ly/3cdewhS

While I related to most of the situations Alys was dealing with, I found the writing style to be a little bit jarring. It switches from “I rush into the other room” to an inner monologue of “seeing you again has brought emotions back” – but Alys is not saying the second part to anyone.

It’s hard to explain, almost like these moments are supposed to be Alys’ inner monologue, but they’re not constant. As I said, it was jarring each time it occurred.

But I did like the trajectory and could understand how conflicted Alys was. I also liked how the secondary characters had just as much backstory as the main ones. And I especially appreciated the strong female friendship between Alys and Nancy. I thought that was a highlight.

I would recommend the book for some strong female characters and relatable situations.

Author Bio

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea.