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A review by portybelle
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
4.0
3.5* rounded up
In contrast to the brightness of the cover, this novel starts in very dark times as France becomes German occupied territory during WW2. We see the terror of those living in Paris and the desperation of those doing what they can to survive in the face of hunger and danger. Eliane is the main character in this part of the story and she's incredibly brave. Along with Rose, who is based on a real person, and a few others she catalogues precious artworks stolen by the Germans from their rightful owners so they can be reunited with their owners after the war. This part of the book really highlights the difficult choices that ordinary people had to make during wartime
The more contemporary timeline features Remy who has mysteriously inherited the beautiful Riviera house of the title. She is grieving and broken and it wasn't hard to understand why. I enjoyed that we got to spend quite a few chapters in each time period, really getting to know each character, their circumstances and the significant events. I did wonder what the connection was going to be as initially they seemed two completely separate stories. As we got to find out more about the connections, I found this really engaging and probably had a slight preference for the wartime timeline. Having said that, I liked seeing Remy begin to come to terms with what had happened to her and to almost give herself permission to move forwards. It seemed that the courage of the people in the past and what they had to deal with gave her the impetus to discover her own inner strength.
The Riviera House is well-researched and detailed historical fiction. Knowing that it is partly based on true events adds to the reading experience. Do make sure you read the author's note at the end where she talks about her research and honouring the experiences of the real people the book is based on. Recommended for those who enjoy wartime fiction and dual time-line narratives.
In contrast to the brightness of the cover, this novel starts in very dark times as France becomes German occupied territory during WW2. We see the terror of those living in Paris and the desperation of those doing what they can to survive in the face of hunger and danger. Eliane is the main character in this part of the story and she's incredibly brave. Along with Rose, who is based on a real person, and a few others she catalogues precious artworks stolen by the Germans from their rightful owners so they can be reunited with their owners after the war. This part of the book really highlights the difficult choices that ordinary people had to make during wartime
The more contemporary timeline features Remy who has mysteriously inherited the beautiful Riviera house of the title. She is grieving and broken and it wasn't hard to understand why. I enjoyed that we got to spend quite a few chapters in each time period, really getting to know each character, their circumstances and the significant events. I did wonder what the connection was going to be as initially they seemed two completely separate stories. As we got to find out more about the connections, I found this really engaging and probably had a slight preference for the wartime timeline. Having said that, I liked seeing Remy begin to come to terms with what had happened to her and to almost give herself permission to move forwards. It seemed that the courage of the people in the past and what they had to deal with gave her the impetus to discover her own inner strength.
The Riviera House is well-researched and detailed historical fiction. Knowing that it is partly based on true events adds to the reading experience. Do make sure you read the author's note at the end where she talks about her research and honouring the experiences of the real people the book is based on. Recommended for those who enjoy wartime fiction and dual time-line narratives.