I’m really delighted today to be joining the blog tour for The Girl from Normandy, the latest book from Rachel Sweasey, and sharing my review. Published on 27th June by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), as an audiobook, and in both paperback and hardcover. 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 enjoyed Rachel’s last book, The Island Girls, so much – that wonderful setting of Brownsea Island, such a fascinating and well researched historical background, and a really engaging dual time story, with two perfectly balanced storylines and particularly well developed characters. I found it impossible to put down – a strong sense of place to both past and present, and a story I found both moving and totally captivating (you’ll find my full review here). Such a special book – and I was very much looking forward to reading her latest…
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?
This was a book that enthralled me from its opening pages – dual time writing at its very best, tying together a powerful wartime story of love, loss and exceptional bravery and a really engaging present day story with intriguing links to the past.
Leaving Paris, her family under threat from the Nazi occupation, a series of distressing events at the railway station find Marie-Claire alone, heading for Normandy rather than the safety of the South. A series of chance events – the kindness of strangers – finds her willingly caught up in the work of the Resistance, running a cafe where the occupying force are regular visitors, passing on intelligence she’s able to gather from their conversations, at night setting flares to guide the planes bringing much needed assistance. And she’s a writer – capturing her recipes and their inspiration, but also including coded messages that support the dangerous work of her friends in the Resistance.
As a teen, Esther spent a fondly remembered holiday with the Joubert family at Sainte-Mère-Église – very much in need of a holiday, she returns (in 1998) from Dorset to be godmother to her friend Giselle’s child. But there are some embarrassing memories too – the crush she had on Giselle’s brother Jules, a potential romance that petered out and came to nothing. His busy life keeps him away at first – but when he arrives, and after some initial awkwardness, they find their feelings for each other are as strong as they ever were. But there’s also an intriguing mystery – a note on the back of a recipe in an old and treasured cookery book, and a series of clues to follow about the family’s wartime past.
The wartime story is a particularly emotional one, quite beautifully told – and the author avoids any wrenches between the gripping events of the past and the lighter feel of the present day story by entangling them so seamlessly. There’s romance in both timelines – wonderfully handled, with the most perfect emotional touch, and I felt particularly deeply for Marie-Claire. And, as the two storylines gradually came together, I particularly liked the fact that the author didn’t tie the loose ends into the neat bow I was rather expecting – there were surprises throughout, and it was a book I was entirely unable to set aside until I’d read to the very end.
This really was an exceptional read – superb storytelling, impeccably researched, heart wrenching at times, really immersing the reader in the lives of its wonderfully drawn characters and the vividly drawn Normandy setting. Every single relationship – in the past and present, whether friendship, family or romance – was something I really believed in. A book I’d very much recommend to others, and an author now firmly on my favourites list – I loved every moment.
About the author
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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