Over the last ten days or so I have been lucky enough to acquire two new cookbooks so this week I thought I would talk about them today.
I have posted before a few times about my love of Great British Bake Off. I enjoy watching the Australian and Kiwi versions as well, but the original is the best! In fact, the latest series is about to start showing here in the next couple of weeks, so that is something to look forward to!
Of the GBBO alumni, one of the most successful alumni has been Nadiya Hussain. Since winning Bake Off in 2015 she has made several TV shows with the lates being Nadiya Bakes. Recently my husband was away for the weekend so I had time to spare and so I binge watched the series on Netflix. What I didn't realise is that I had already made one of the recipes from the series. I did know it was her recipe, but not where it came from.
I thoroughly enjoyed the TV series, from the recipes to the way that Nadiya communicates with the viewer and her production team. She's just so warm and friendly, and that is visible in the introductions to the recipes in the book.
Hussain likes to take classic recipes and give them a twist, which often reflects multicultural cuisines. For example, she shares a recipe for Sheesh Kebab Toad in the Hole, which is normally made with sausages. I think the next recipe I intend to make is Filo Cream Parcels, which is her version of a Lebanese dessert.
If I have one issue with this book it is that not ever recipe has a picture. While most do, and there are so recipes that have a couple of pages of arty photos but others have none. I really prefer to have even just a small photo so I can see what I am aiming for!
Here's the trailer for the TV series.
The second cookbook I received this week was one that I saw mentioned on Jackie's blog, Junkboat Travels. She mentioned that she purchased the book, The Atlas Cookbook, after seeing the author, Charlie Carrington on Australian Masterchef.
As you may recall, over the last year we have been doing the Atlas Masterclasses, where we receive a box of all the ingredients that we need to make recipes from all around the world. It has been one of the ways that we have kept ourselves amused - trying all different foods!
When I was reading Jackie's post, I saw the book mentioned, and then I did a double take as I made the connection. The cookbook that she had purchased was by the same chef behind our Atlas Mastclasses. I didn't know he had a cookbook out. I couldn't not purchase it myself really!
I haven't had a chance to study the recipes, but I am sure I will find plenty to make!
Have you bought any new cookbooks lately?
Weekly meals
Saturday: Out for dinner Sunday: Beef and Pepper Pie Monday: Baked Zucchini Parmesan and Tomato Risotto Tuesday: Pork chops, cabbage and mashed potato Wednesday: Chicken Enchilada Thursday: Spanish Tuna Bake Friday: Fish and Chips at the beaach
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.
Every now and again on social media you will see a conversation which asks the question "are there too many WWII books?" or "do we need yet another WWII book?". I do understand why people might have these thoughts because there are a lot out there, but when you read a book like this then the answer is no there aren't too many and yes we do! There are still so many fascinating stories to be told, often based on true stories.
In this book we are taken into the super secret world at Bletchley Park, home of the British code breakers during WWII. Two young women meet on the train as they take up their appointment at Bletchley, with no idea what their work will be. Canadian Osla is a young debutante whose well-to-do mother keeps a suite at Claridges just in case, and who is currently dating a dashing young Prince Philip. She has a good grasp of languages including German and wants to be seen as something more than a "dim-witted deb". Mab comes from the East End of London, and she has done everything she could to improve her lot in life, and that of her mother and sister. She's taught herself to talk differently, to dress like a lady and is always working to become a better version of herself.
Once at Bletchley the two women sign documents to say that they will never speak of the work that they do, even amongst themselves.
Do not talk at meals. Do not talk in the transport. Do not talk travelling. Do not talk in the billet. Do not talk by your own fireside. Be careful even in your hut.
They are billeted with the dysfunctional Finch family. Daughter Bethan is firmly under the thumb of her abusive, controlling mother. Whilst Beth has very little in the way of social or life skills, she is able to solve crosswords very quickly. Soon she too is working at Bletchley, using her particular mental strengths working hard to solve the puzzles of the Enigma code. If they can break the codes they will know exactly what the Germans are up to and can save lives.
The code breakers work hard - very hard. Beth isn't the only code breaker who works days on end, round the clock to find the key to the code, unlocking the secrets. But within the park, there are also the opportunities to play hard. Illicit romances, pranks, book clubs and more are the things that help keep everyone sane. Not to mention the newsletter whose author seems to have their finger on the pulse of everything that is going on at Bletchley.
The German's are not the only ones with secrets. Even though they are working closely together, there are still so many things that the women hide from their friends and co-workers.
There are two strands of this story, the first during WWII and the other in the lead up to the marriage of then Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip of Greece. A couple of weeks before the wedding that the whole nation is determined to celebrate, Osla and Mab receive a coded message which leads them back to their code-breaking days, and to each other. Together they have to try and unveil a traitor. The war might be over, but the damage caused by the traitor still resonates in the everyday life of the three women.
I really enjoyed how the author slowly unveiled the story with great skill. As the story progresses, for example, we know that the one of the women is married with kids but she tells us the story without revealing the name of her husband. Whilst in this case, his lack of identity isn't crucial to the story by using this technique in multiple scenarios, there are several moments of genuine surprise when those identities are revealed.
I really enjoyed Mab's war time love story. She was so determined to bag herself an educated man who could provide her with a degree of financial security so she made very clinical decisions, so it was a delight to watch her as her feelings began to grow. In fact, all the women grow albeit because of different circumstances.
We also got a glimpse inside the walls of a mental institution in the 1940 - cold, brutal and experimenting with new surgical techniques such as lobotomies. In fact, there are several other issues that are explored within the pages of this excellent book, including the role of women before and during the war, racism, trauma and loss and so much more.
This book has so much to offer. It has a fascinating story, great characters, interesting history, drama, loss and so much more. I had previously listened to The Alice Network, which I enjoyed, but I loved this one, and now I really need to read The Huntress.
Rating 4.5/5
Thanks to Random Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour and Netgalley
About the Book
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.
Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...
About the author
Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she
earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has
written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance
detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple
languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar
and Calpurnia.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books on my Spring TBR, except that it is autumn for us.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - I am cheating a bit as I am already reading this, but I am thoroughly enjoying it so wanted to mention it.
How to Mend a Broken Heart by Rachael Johns - Rachael Johns is an auto read for me!
The Life She Finds by Maggie Christenson - I read the first three books in this series in quick succession early this year. Now I need to read book 4.
Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen - A new series for me.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - I really enjoyed Beach Read when I read it last year so looking forward to this one.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - Can not wait for this book!
The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman - I read and loved The Heirloom Garden last year. If pressed I would go so far as to call it my favourite book of 2020 so I am very much looking forward to this one.
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary - After loving her first book, and enjoying the second, I am looking forward to this one.
The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley - The final book in the Seven Sisters series. I just need to hurry about and finish listening to the audio of The Sun Sister.
From the Ashes by Kristina Gruell - Full disclosure. I have been friends with this author for many years, to the point that we have met up with her and a couple of others on our last couple of trips. Whilst I am not necessarily a gaslamp fantasy reader, you do want to support your friends right.
I have read a number of Ella Carey books over the last year or so, and I have liked them all, but this one is, in my opinion, her best yet, at least of the ones that I have read.
Lily Rose has grown up in a privileged world. Her mother has her life all planned out for her. She will marry the perfect man who happens to be well connected and wealthy, and most importantly from the right family. There is only one problem. Lily's passion is for cooking and she loves her job as a sous chef at Valentinos, a prestigious New York restaurant, and she really doesn't want the life that her mother has planned for her which causes conflict between them.
It's 1942 and one by one the men who work in the kitchen get called up, leaving the owner no choice but to look for other options to keep the restaurant running. With the death of the head chef, Valentino's owner, Giorgio gives his three best prospects the opportunity to lead the restaurant. This puts Lily up against Tom Morelli, and Martine, a woman who is talented in the kitchen but who Lily has struggled to connect with on a personal level. The fact Lily is attracted to Tom only complicates matters as their is no way her snobbish mother will ever accept someone like Tom for her daughter.
For whoever is successful there are challenging time ahead of them. The war is starting to have an impact. Petrol shortages, not to mention how challenging it is to get coffee, and good quality ingredients. And then there is the fact that the men who are left behind won't want to work for a woman. And then there is the big question of whether the people of New York will continue to come to the restaurant if they know that a woman is the head chef.
Lily's relationship with Tom is central to the sotry, especially once he too is drafted and their relationship has to continue to develop through letters, until they too stop. As Lily bonds with his mother, and in turn his mother bonds with Lily's grandmother (who is a wonderful character) she builds a life that she could only have imagined before the war. Now all she needs is for Tom to come home.
As the war continues yet more women join the team who I imagine will become the characters in the next books in the series, and I am looking forward to reading more.
Whereas some of Carey's other books have been about art, this one is jam packed with food references. From truly decadent meals, to cakes and pastries, to delicious Italian food. Where this book steps away is that the author isn't afraid to explore the shortages that the war inevitably brings with it. Lily is fundamental to coming up with new ideas for the restaurant, ranging from how to use a Victory Garden to provide vegetables to how you can use the ingredients that wouldn't normally see light of day in a fancy restaurant.
There were so many passages that I could have shared but in the end I decided on a passage from early in the book as the threat of shortages takes hold.
"All the talk this morning at the deli was of meat rationing starting next year," Tom said, eyeing the produce stalls. "It made me wonder whether Paddy Jackson will really be able to cover for Valentino's."
"I've been thinking about the sugar problem too," Lily said, slipping back into talk of restaurants and produce easily with him. Giorgio says that sugar from Hawaii and the Philippines isn't coming through anymore, and our signature desserts are going to be even more challenged. And then there's coffee. But yes, I fear our main problem will be lack of meat, no matter how loyal Paddy is to Giorgio, and no matter how determined Georgia is to keep things going."
Tom stepped aside to let Lily pass by and elderly couple and then pulled her arm back towards him, his fingers flickering against Lily's, sending a thrill through her insides.
"This morning," he said, moving on again, her hand still tucked in the crook of his arm, "my mom and I were talking about using more processed meat at Albertina's to make up for the shortages. Hot dogs. Sausages. My mom is experimenting with different types of sausages at the deli, using herbs. How we convince the Valentino's clientele to take on processed meat is a different matter."
Lily looked up at him. "Can you imagine Giorgio allowing sausages at Valentino's? How adorable for the illustrious clientele."
Tomm grinned, coming to a stop opposite Albertina's, its picture window filled with displays of olives and hams, prosciutto and yellow and white cheeses. "We Sicilians know how to make the best out of any situation," he said, a twinkle in his eyes "We can conjure something out of nothing. Come on inside.
Book Description:
She looked at the telegram in horror, the words blurring in front of her eyes. She dropped to her knees, feeling that her entire world was ending. The paper slipped from her hands as she put her head in hands, sobs wracking her chest…
1942, New York. As war rages in Europe, Lily Rose is grateful for her perfect life: the love of her wealthy uptown parents in their beautiful brownstone overlooking the park and her dream job as a chef at one of New York’s finest restaurants, the art deco dream that is Valentino’s. But in her heart, Lily is drawn towards the bohemian Sicilian community in Greenwich Village, where gorgeous fresh fruit spills onto the pavement and the smell of freshly baked cannoli tempt her inside every Italian deli.
Part of the attraction is Tom Morelli, talented chef and handsome grandson of Sicilian immigrants, whose deep brown eyes call to her and set her heart on fire. As wartime rationing bites in the city, Lily and Tom stay up late, dreaming up delicious meals that will see Valentino’s through the war and distract New Yorkers from the threat of sons and sweethearts being called up. Lily knows he has found the key to her heart.
Then Tom receives a devastating summons that changes everything: he is drafted to Italy. He must return to his beautiful homeland to fight a desperate war.
Suddenly alone, with only the memory of Tom’s last kiss, Lily turns to her parents for support. But when her mother finds out about her relationship, she is furious. When the war ends, Lily’s duty is to marry the man picked for her, raise children and never work again. They give her a heartbreaking ultimatum: end her relationship with Tom and give up her job or lose her family and inheritance forever.
Lily knows she must follow her heart to Valentino’s and to Tom. But when Tom is declared missing in action, Lily is totally heartbroken. If she pursues her dreams, will there be anything left for her when the war is over?
From top-ten bestseller Ella Carey comes an utterly heartbreaking historical novel, inspired by true events, about the courage, love and friendships that sustain us in the darkest of days. Fans of Fiona Davis, Rhys Bowen and The Nightingale will be captivated.
Author Bio:
Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.
Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy of this book
Weekly meals
Saturday: Out for dinner Sunday: Nothing Monday: Takeaway Tuesday: Beef Rendang with rice and naan bread Wednesday: Chicken parma Thursday: Nasi Goreng Friday: Sausages with Ratatouille
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Spring Cleaning Freebie (for example, books you’re planning to get rid of for whatever reason, book’s you’d like to clean off your TBR by either reading them or deciding you’re not interested, books that feel fresh and clean to you after winter is over, etc.).
My choice is to clean out a draft blog post from a few weeks ago. The theme on February 23 was books which made you laugh and I had created a list of potential choices but I was too busy with work to put any words in place or pictures or anything else and so it was still sitting in draft unpublished.
Pratchett, Pratchett, Pratchett - doesn't really matter which book really..
Jasper Fforde - I was a big fan of the Thursday Next books.
Beach Read by Emily Henry - My romance reading has completely changed over the years. Once upon a time I read mainly historicals, with some paranormal and the occasional contemporary romance. Now I read a lot of contemporary romance, with some historical and no paranormal at all. This was a fun, read in one sitting contemporary
Jenny Colgan is great at the funny story with a lot of depth. I have really enjoyed a couple of her series!
Marian Keyes -another author that makes me laugh, especially her early books. The later ones not so much!
The Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - an eccentric archeologist family gallivanting around Egypt, stumbling onto mystery after mystery! So much fun.
The Prenup by Lauren Layne - a recent fun contemporary read
Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins - So many contemporary women's fictions novels have the balance between romance, issues and humour just right! This author gives us a great Kiwi spin on the genre!
The early books in the Stephanie Plum series were makes you cry you are laughing so hard. The later ones make me roll my eyes in exasperation, but I had to include her because of those early books.
I mentioned contemporary romance novels earlier in this post, so it's only right that I includes a historical novelist as well. Tessa Dare makes me laugh every time I read one of her books!
I haven't participated in It's Monday! What are you reading? for a few weeks or so. I am once again/still very, very busy at work and so I am not finding as much time as I should to read, and if you aren't reading much it's hard to blog about reading right?
Today, though, is a public holiday so I can take advantage of only thinking about work instead of actually working!
I'm reading......
I've got a couple of books on the go at the moment. Both of them are set during WWII but that is where the similarities end.
The first is A New York Secret by Ella Carey. This is the first book in a trilogy called New York Daughters, and it won't be a surprise to hear that it is set in New York. The story is about a well-bred young society woman who is determined to not follow the accepted society rules of marrying an acceptable rich man and living the life of a society lady. Instead she is determined to become the head chef in a restaurant. So far, I am really enjoying this book, and in fact it may well be the best book Ella Carey has written. It is also one of those books which makes you hungry when you read it. My review for this book will be up later this week.
The other book I started in the last week was The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This time the book is set in England with the code breakers who were based at Bletchley Park. I can't wait to read more.
I'm watching....
We seem to have stalled on multiple TV series that we were watching, to the point that I saw someone mention a show in a blog post and it reminded me that I had completely forgotten about the show. That's a danger when you have to wait each week for a new episode
We did binge watch The Casketeers season 3 on Friday night. I have posted before about this show, and I was excited to hear that season 4 is just showing in New Zealand, which means it won't be long before we get to see it. The Casketeers is a reality show set in a funeral home. When I write that there's no way that you would think that the show would be funny and gentle and uplifting. And yet, it is all of that and more. It is a delight!
Life
This weekend we had a three day weekend. Whilst we didn't go away, we did a lot of driving as we went to catch up with friends all over the place. The next time, we should insist that at least one of them came to us right? And catching up means a few drinks. I think I have probably had more to drink in these two days than I had for the last 6 months. Maybe I am a bit out of practice.
Whilst we enjoyed the 50th party on Saturday and brunch with an old friend on Sunday, we also enjoyed our outing to the Yarra Valley on Sunday afternoon. I hadn't heard of it before, but the winery we visited was lovely. We sat around outside, sharing a charcuterie board, drinking nice wine and listening to a guy with a guitar singing! It was very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon and even though it is a fair way from home we will visit again at some point. Very civilized.
Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
This month the starting point is a book called Phosphoresence by Julia Baird. Actually it's full title is Phosphorence: On Awe, Wonder and Thing That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark. It does sound interesting, even if it isn't my normal type of book. It was, however, quite a tricky title to start a chain with.
In the end I started thinking about what does the word phosphoresence mean, which lead me to the word glow. I was sure that years ago I had a book by a YA author that was called that but I couldn't find any reference to it anywhere so maybe I was misremembering. Instead I continued to ponder those two words and that lead me to think about things that glow (or at least they are represented that way in cartoons and movies). This is turn led me to the idea of nuclear power which uses uranium which in one form is known as yellowcake which leads me to the book of the same name by Margo Lanagan! Phew! That was quite a lot of thinking to get me to that first link.
Margo Lanagan also wrote a book about selkies, creatures from Scottish myth, called either Sea Hearts or The Brides of Roll Rock Island depending on where it was published. This is a book I have used before in Six Degrees and the book I was thinking of linking too next is the same one I used last time, so I had to take a different turn.
One of my favourite fairy tale retellers in Kate Forsyth and I have picked her book The Beast's Garden which is a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in Nazi Germany.
A book that I read last year, set in the immediate aftermath of WWII in Germany was Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees. Obviously there was plenty of food mentioned in this one!
The book I am currently reading is called A New York Secret by Ella Carey which features a young woman who is vyiing to become a chef in a New York restaurant during WWII, and again features lots of food. My review of this book will be up later this week.
From here I took an unexpected turn! One of the characters in A New York Secret is called Tom Morelli, and so I couldn't go past the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. One of the two main male characters in this series is a cop called Joe Morelli. Now the Stephanie Plum books start with a book called One for the Money and continued through to Twisted Twenty-Six before she stopped using the numbers to name the books. I stopped reading at Notorious Nineteen. It seems only right to choose Hot Six for this meme.
Next month's starting point is going to be Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart.
Recently I joined a book group on Facebook. I can't remember why, but I did. One of the books that was mentioned many times was this book, The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel. I had heard of this author before, mainly because of her most recent release, The Book of Lost Names but I hadn't read her. It turns out she is one of five authors that are involved in the group but I didn't figure that out until much later! I am not always the sharpest tool in the toolbox.
When Liv Kent's husband declares their marriage over, she loses everything. Her force of nature French grandmother, Evie, turns up unexpectedly to her door and drags her to Paris. Evie is 99 years old and yet still elegant and fierce. Once in Paris, Liv begins to feel the weight of her loss lifting but it is clear that her grandmother has something on her mind, and yet she won't actually say what it is. Together they travel to Reims, where her grandmother's behaviour becomes very odd, to say the least.
Evie has things to tell Liv, but how do you begin to tell the stories of the past when there is so much tragedy, so many lies, so many secrets. These stories have been untold for many years, back to World War II.
This is a dual timeline novel, so whilst we learn about Liv's heartbreak and the underlying cause of the breakdown, and about her relationship with Evie, the historical timeline deals with life at Maison Chauveau - a family run vineyard in the Champagne region of France, which is centred around the city of Reims.
When Ines marries Michel, owner of Maison Chauveau, she thinks it will be a glamourous life, not realising at all that running a vineyard is hard work that she is expected to participate in, whether it be by moving bottles around or preparing the barrels for the wine, it is hard physical labour. The couple is assisted in the venture by their chief winemaker Theo and his wife Celine.
The beginning of WWII is a difficult time for everyone in France, with the German occupation imminent. Michel sees what is coming and prepares the champagne caves, hiding his most successful vintages deep within the network of tunnels. It is, however, hardest for Celine who is part Jewish. Whilst in the early days of the occupation she is not a target for the Nazis because she is married to a French man and was born in France, she doesn't know what is happening with her extended family and she is worried.
Whereas Theo believes that they should just keep their heads down and do as the Germans say, Michel is more determined to do what he can to derail the German occupiers. The Germans, however, are most interested in the champagne that he produces, so he has to be seen to be compliant. It's a fine line, especially when Celine catches the attention of an officer, especially as the net tightens on Jews as the war progresses.
Ines was introduced to Michel by her closest friend Evie, who lives in Reims with her husband and together they run a restaurant that soon becomes the haunt of German soldiers. With her husband so preoccupied with the vineyard both legal and illegal, Ines begins to feel ignored and so she turns to her friend Evie. Evie is involved in a dangerous game of her own, one that Ines threatens with her rash and impulsive behaviour. And so begins a series of events that will ultimately end in betrayal and death.
One of the interesting things about this book, particularly the historical part, is that none of the characters are especially likable. They are all a bit flawed and there are secrets and lies between all of them, but in a way that makes them interesting. Normally you have the one character who is all things good fighting the good fight, but these characters are treading fine lines as best they see fit to try and survive in a time where there is danger at every turn.
What I did enjoy was the author's writing style. From the first page I felt very involved in the story so I will be reading more from her.
I also enjoyed the history and culture regarding wine making that was included as part of the story, the detail of how the soil affected the grapes and help create the champagne, the barrels and more:
On the day before March's first full moon, late in the month, the cellars filled with a dozen workers - most of them children between twelve and fifteen, who were grateful for the small fee Michel would pay them at day's end, and despite her growing exhaustion, and the way her whole swollen body ached, Celine mad her way below ground to help. It was tradition to begin bottling the wines the day the springtime moon rose in the sky; for hundreds of years, winemakers in Champagne had believed that the power of the lunar cycle drew the bubbles into the bottle.
I'd like to share one other quote, but I am going to skip a couple of key phrases which would otherwise be spoilers:
....she'd found a bottle of 1940 Champagne Chauveau in a specialty wine store on West Seventy-Second Street and bought it, thought it had cost a small fortune. But it had been a sign; it had been the last vintage Michel and Theo had finished together before the world fell apart. All of them - Ines and Celine, too - had played a part in making the wine that year, and as *she* popped the cork in the living room with shaky hands, she felt as if she were holding something that belonged to another age, another reality.
........Even though the 1940 harvest had been so terrible, the bubbles were fine and elegant, the wine itself buttery as brioche, with a crisp, lemony-edge and just the faintest traces of caramel and chalk. It was perfect, a masterpiece, and ode to the land, to the cellars, to the winemakers. Celine had been right about this vintage; they had managed to make something beautiful from the chaos. Michel would have been so proud, and as she drank sip after perfect sip, she closed her eyes and imagined returning to Ville Dommange......
This is not the first time that I have read about the caves in the Champagne region being used during both world wars, and I know that I have at least one more book on my TBR which treads the same ground. It is, however, fascinating history and I would love to visit the areas if we ever get to travel to France again!
Rating 4/5
About the book
The author of the “engrossing” (People) international bestseller The Room on Rue Amélie returns with a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of northern France during the darkest days of World War II, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.
Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.
When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the champagne house that ties them together.
New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau
Weekly meals:
Saturday: Sunday: Spaghetti bolognaise Monday: Pork Nachos Tuesday: Chicken Stroganoff Wednesday: Chicken Stroganoff (leftovers) Thursday: Steak Mushroom and Broccolini with potatoes Friday: Chicken schnitzel, chips and gravy (takeaway Friday)
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.
We had another great month in February with another 57 reviews! Thank you to everyone who shared! I can't wait to see what you all share in March.
I am very excited to have so many of you signed up and linking up to the challenge already this year, and I look forward to reading your reviews throughout the year! I am sure there is going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers!
If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.
Just to recap what participants need to know. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.
Please remember...
add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). A direct link to your Goodreads review is also acceptable
any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!
I have created a group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.
Here is the link for you to use to share your reviews this month! Happy reading!
