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bibliopage's review against another edition
5.0
A very good read and important one as it sheds light on the women's war during WWII. I highly recommend it!
teachingkids1982's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful, delightful, beautiful read! i love stories intertwined with the past so easily!
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who isn't particularly interested in fine wine or French culture, I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Lost Vintage. (There is currently sangria in a can in my fridge, to sum up my wine cred.) Even if you’ve never swooned over a pinot grigio or imagined yourself cruising with the top down in the French countryside, Ann Mah will make you want to grab the next flight, roll up your pant legs, and stomp around in some grapes a la I Love Lucy. There are two timelines in the book—one of my favorite gimmicks—one set in the present, and the other during the Nazi occupation of WWII. Kate is studying to become a Grand Poobah of Winesmithery (or something like that, shrug) and decides to pop on over to France to help out at the winery that has been in her family for generations. Like you do. While there, she discovers a secret trove of prized wines walled off in a hidden portion of the basement. To find out how it got there, she has to delve into some pretty uncomfortable history—whose side was her family on during the war, exactly?—and fortunately she has a fun college friend and a hunky old flame to help her on her mission. Also fortunately, there’s still time for crusty bread and soft cheeses in between all the research.
bcgg's review against another edition
4.0
I almost stopped reading after the first few chapters, it was feeling like chic lit and I was getting put off. But, staying with it, I found a delightful read.
gailcarroll's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jcarsrud's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this historical fiction mystery! This paired well with The Book of Lost Names as both were set in France during WWII. I read this for book club and highly recommend it to anyone that likes WWII novels and anyone that enjoys wine. ;)
colleend's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
msvenner's review against another edition
4.0
This was a slow start and I wondered if I would bother finishing but the further I got into the book, the more I was intrigued. The author does a great job exploring the idea of the Nazi occupation of France and the concepts of collaborator and resister. The characters of Helene and Madame were well drawn and interesting. Initially I thought the modern day storyline was unnecessary but I enjoyed how it explored the generational impact of the occupation. I would be curious to hear from a Rural French citizen about their thought on these issues and about how well it represents reality.
jmonfared's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75