It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn, and to share my review. The second book in her Fry Sisters series, it was published by One More Chapter on 3rd February as an ebook and audiobook – available via Amazon in the UK and US – and the paperback will follow on 16th February (available for preorder from any of your favourite on-line or local bookshops). My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
I really loved the first book in this excellent series, Love in a Time of War (you’ll find my review here)- it might have taken me rather longer than it should have done to discover the author’s wonderful writing, but I was so very happy that I did. It was a book that really had a bit of everything that I enjoy – drama, romance, conflict, heartache, rich historical detail, wonderfully drawn locations – and “swept me away” doesn’t begin to do it justice. It was also a book that made me feel, and really deeply, for its characters – and I was particularly looking forward to following the next steps in their journey…
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…
Once again, the author has produced a book that totally captivated me – a substantial read, but one in which I was totally immersed throughout in the lives of Christina and her three daughters, scattered across the globe, each facing their own trials and tribulations, all set against a richly drawn historical and social backdrop extending from the end of WW1, through the Roaring Twenties, and ending with the Great Depression.
The Paris sister of the title is Etta – always the flighty one, she’s now a mother living with family in Capri, her desperate need for money driving her to travel to Paris – initially to raise money by selling her now notorious husband’s paintings but getting caught up in the vibrant social scene, neglecting her original plans and her many obligations. Her twin, Jessie, runs a clinic for the disadvantaged in politically turbulent Cairo – married to her Egyptian doctor husband Aziz she hopes for her own career in medicine, struggles with her relationship with traditional mother-in-law Layla, but has a strong yearning to be a mother. The eldest daughter Celie is married to Frank, and travels to Alberta where they eke out a life on the land, starting a wheat farm – where, after the romance of her youth and her involvement with social change during the war years, she finds it particularly difficult to cope with the constraints of life as a housewife and mother. And, back in London, mother Christina revisits a liaison from her past with the threat that a long-held secret is in danger of being revealed.
Just this once, I really mustn’t tell any more of the story – the author does it so much better, following the lives of all four women and telling it from their separate viewpoints (but always cleverly maintaining the connection between them), and each of the four intertwined storylines was simply wonderful. The research that went into such a vivid recreation of both the era and the locations must have been immense – and I especially enjoyed the blending of fiction with fact as the sisters variously encounter the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald (and the vibrant Zelda), Ernest Hemingway, and Lady Evelyn Herbert, all brought to life on the page. There’s romance aplenty, a focus on motherhood and the bonds of family, strong friendships, a sure touch with all the varied emotional content, fascinating historical detail that never weighs down the story, many moments of drama and intrigue and people behaving badly – and the wider supporting cast is every bit as well drawn as the principal characters. And the story-telling itself is just fantastic, perfectly paced, picking up momentum as the end grew closer – I flew through this book’s close to 500 pages in a couple of sittings, unable to tear myself away.
Could you start the series with this one, the second book? Yes, I think you could – there’s just enough catching up with the back story to make that comfortable. And as was the case in the first book of the series, the ending leaves a number of intriguing threads open, ready for the next instalment – and it’s one I’ll most certainly be eagerly awaiting. The publishers have called this book “an epic sweeping historical novel perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley” – and that certainly sums it up for me. Just wonderful – I loved it.
About the author
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. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk.
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.
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Definitely one for me Anne, thank you. Such a fabulous author … and an Adrienne to boot! XXX