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woolardhe's review against another edition
3.0
i think this book had a lot of potential to be interesting as the subject matter was super intriguing, but I ended up finding this a bit boring. The characters just fell flat imo
beastreader's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy this book. The time period was lovely as was the location of Paris. The author did a nice job of bring to life the scenes of Paris as well as the war. Although, I found myself mainly focused on Marthe and her story. While, I did like Solange and learning the connection between Marthe and the present, I just felt a strong connection to Marthe and her experiences. I would say that this was the case for about two thirds of the book. The last third of the story did shift and more focus was on Solange, which gave her a chance to shine more and have a louder voice. Overall, this book is an enjoyable read. Fans of this time period will like this book.
susanp's review against another edition
3.0
So far, I feel that the author had only one excellent book in her--The Lost Wife. Disappointing. The characters were dull, lifeless, and soporific. The book read more like a modern romance than as a World War II story.
kschmoldt's review against another edition
5.0
I was initially intrigued by this book when I first saw it on NetGalley. It deals with war-torn France for at least part of the book, and having read and loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The author creates a rich setting and memorable characters. It is the story of two women, and is at least based partly on an actual apartment in Paris that was preserved for seventy years after the death of its inhabitant, Marthe de Florian. This novel tells the imagined tale of Marthe de Florian, a courtesan during the Belle Epoque era, and her granddaughter, Solange. The relationship between Marthe and Solange develops through the novel as Marthe relates her life story to Solange. This is center of the book, but Solange's life outside of her relationship with her grandmother also becomes a focus, as World War II commences and the Germans invade France. I recommend this book to anyone who loved the Nightingale, or is a fan of quality literary historical fiction.
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Solange Beaugiron learns later in her life that she has a grand grand mother. Her grandmother has lived a full life and Solange needing to be occupied gets to spend afternoons with her grandmother and hear the stories. As the war inches its way to France, Solange's father is called away to duty and Solange will move in with her grandmother and get a birds eye view of who her grandmother was and who she is now.
I have read my fair share of World War II books - too many maybe! This one was interesting because World War II was juxtaposed to the Great War and Marthe de Florian's experiences during that war. I loved how her tales were interwoven into the story and it was done in the most simple and best way.
Solange Beaugiron learns later in her life that she has a grand grand mother. Her grandmother has lived a full life and Solange needing to be occupied gets to spend afternoons with her grandmother and hear the stories. As the war inches its way to France, Solange's father is called away to duty and Solange will move in with her grandmother and get a birds eye view of who her grandmother was and who she is now.
I have read my fair share of World War II books - too many maybe! This one was interesting because World War II was juxtaposed to the Great War and Marthe de Florian's experiences during that war. I loved how her tales were interwoven into the story and it was done in the most simple and best way.
grcampbell's review against another edition
3.0
The story was interesting but it wasn’t until the last 100 pages that I couldn’t put it down. It seemed most of the time I was waiting for something to happen. Then things started to happen and suddenly it was over.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful book! This story is rich and endearing...imagining Solange, Alex, Marthe, and the world of challenges in the the early years of WWII is easy. What a lovely book! A real page turner.
allarminda's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully interwoven stories of a granddaughter and a grandmother, both navigating their respective war-torn Paris and significant relationships.
barbaraf's review against another edition
3.0
So I am giving this 3 stars - 4 for the last 100 pages or so because I liked the ending and 2 for the first 2/3 of the book which was a bit too schmoopie for me. Some readers (who really like romantic sensually charged writing) would really enjoy the first part but I prefer more mystery and drama to keep my attention. The book is set in alternating times - the late 1890's and start of WWII.
Marthe de Florian is a Parisian courtesan during the turn of the century or Belle Époque (beautiful years) leading up to WWI. It was France's golden age, a time of economic prosperity and innovation as well as artistic freedom and creative thought (the infamous Paris salon era). Marthe escapes the poverty of her childhood due to her ravenous beauty and sexual prowess. She becomes a kept woman for an extremely wealthy married aristocrat, Charles. He supports her love of everything beautiful and leaves her set for life. Her greatest regret is the son Henri she gave up for adoption as a teenager. She is reunited with him later on after his adoptive parents pass away.
Fast forward to 1939 and we meet Solange Beaugiron, Marthe's granddaughter who is introduced to Marthe through the now widowed Henri. The two become close with Solange using her grandmother's intimate story as a basis for a novel (kinda weird telling your dalliances to your grandaughter). Solange also discovers her deceased mother was Jewish and left her some priceless Hebrew manuscripts that she takes to a bookseller in Paris's Jewish Quarter. There she meets Alex the owner's son and they fall in love. France is now on the verge of German occupation and chaos ensues as they all try to desperately escape.
The basis for the novel is a fascinating story in itself:
Inside the Paris apartment untouched for 70 years: Treasure trove finally revealed after owner locked up and fled at outbreak of WWII | Daily Mail Online
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323297/Inside-Paris-apartment-untouched-70-years-Treasure-trove-finally-revealed-owner-locked-fled-outbreak-WWII.html
I would have loved it if the author had told us more about Martha's dreadful childhood and loss of her sister and less detail about her amorous interludes with Charles. There was too much reference to her body, breasts and 'rouged' nipples for my taste. I think there was more to Martha's story than that. The ending was well done though and I sailed through the last part when the fear of Nazi invasion became a reality, Paris was under constant siege and the citizens (especially the Jews) had to abandon everyone and everything they loved to survive.
Marthe de Florian is a Parisian courtesan during the turn of the century or Belle Époque (beautiful years) leading up to WWI. It was France's golden age, a time of economic prosperity and innovation as well as artistic freedom and creative thought (the infamous Paris salon era). Marthe escapes the poverty of her childhood due to her ravenous beauty and sexual prowess. She becomes a kept woman for an extremely wealthy married aristocrat, Charles. He supports her love of everything beautiful and leaves her set for life. Her greatest regret is the son Henri she gave up for adoption as a teenager. She is reunited with him later on after his adoptive parents pass away.
Fast forward to 1939 and we meet Solange Beaugiron, Marthe's granddaughter who is introduced to Marthe through the now widowed Henri. The two become close with Solange using her grandmother's intimate story as a basis for a novel (kinda weird telling your dalliances to your grandaughter). Solange also discovers her deceased mother was Jewish and left her some priceless Hebrew manuscripts that she takes to a bookseller in Paris's Jewish Quarter. There she meets Alex the owner's son and they fall in love. France is now on the verge of German occupation and chaos ensues as they all try to desperately escape.
The basis for the novel is a fascinating story in itself:
Inside the Paris apartment untouched for 70 years: Treasure trove finally revealed after owner locked up and fled at outbreak of WWII | Daily Mail Online
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323297/Inside-Paris-apartment-untouched-70-years-Treasure-trove-finally-revealed-owner-locked-fled-outbreak-WWII.html
I would have loved it if the author had told us more about Martha's dreadful childhood and loss of her sister and less detail about her amorous interludes with Charles. There was too much reference to her body, breasts and 'rouged' nipples for my taste. I think there was more to Martha's story than that. The ending was well done though and I sailed through the last part when the fear of Nazi invasion became a reality, Paris was under constant siege and the citizens (especially the Jews) had to abandon everyone and everything they loved to survive.
issamedina's review against another edition
3.0
En verdad quería amar este libro así como amé Los amantes de Praga, pero tristemente sentí que esta novela es un tanto hueca. El único personaje que llegó a interesarme fue Marthe, de ahí en fuera todos me parecieron sumamente planos y forzados. Es un libro que se lee muy rápido pero en el que no pasa mucho. Me hubiera gustado conocer más sobre Marthe y menos sobre Alex y Solange.