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The French House: The captivating and heartbreaking wartime love story and Richard & Judy Book Club pick

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That is how Nicole finds herself married to Francois Clicquot and wandering through the vineyards they both decide to make this their present and their future. But this idyll is short-lived when bade weather, bitter grapes and poor harvests along with war in far off lands where their product was popular causes problems.

Left profoundly deaf after an accident, Émile is no stranger to isolation - or heartbreak. Now, as Nazi planes loom over Guernsey, he senses life is about to change forever. In sleepy little Reims, France, grieving Nicole Clicquot watches her daughter play amongst the vines under the golden sun and makes a promise to herself. Her gossiping neighbours insist that the rolling fields of chalk soil are no place for a woman, but she is determined to make a success of the winery. It’s the only chance she has to keep a roof over her head and provide a future for her little girl. A raw and honest love story, filled with a wealth of historical detail. The French House is a powerful depiction of the brutal intricacies of island relationships and loyalties in a time of war’ This is not only a coming-of age story. In some ways, it is a novel about feminism in the nineteenth century, in the sense that Nicole is a woman with her own mind who fights, against all odds, to save her vineyards. Despite being born into an affluent world, she is not afraid of dirtying her hands and working day and night amongst the vines. She hates the “tedious parade of husbands, expectations of womanly submissions” and the tight dresses, like “vices”. Men complain about her “talk of independence” but she understands and prefers the world of wine production to the claustrophobic world she is expected to endure.The central character, Emile, was inspired by the author's Great Grandfather and growing up on the Island Jacquie Bloese was privy to lots of war stories passed down through generations. Further inspired by the French House which is actually Hauteville House, the residence of Victor Hugo while he was living in exile on Guernsey from 1856 -1870 the novel was 'born'. Fans of Chocolat, Carnegie’s Maid, Dinah Jeffries and anyone longing to sip champagne under the stars will adore this stunning historical read, inspired by the true story of how Nicole Clicquot blazed her own path to build the world’s greatest champagne house: Veuve Clicquot. Lyrical, moving and compelling, this is a novel about wanting to hear and learning to listen – to the truths of our own hearts. Perfect for lovers of The Nightingale , The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and All the Light We Cannot See . For someone who had a passing acquaintance with Belle Ile from the paintings of Claude Monet and John Peter Russell, this memoir gave me a whole different perspective into France; Belle Ile is not sophisticated Paris, but it has a wonderful enticing charm of its own. The people aren’t elegant, but have a character all their own. The French House is far from grand, more a poor man’s folly than a rich man’s plaything, but it holds magic, a magic evident even to the reader. The descriptions of the vineyards, the growing vines, the champagne-making process are vivid and wonderful. I enjoyed them a lot. Some made me want to try champagne and see if it would really be as it was described in the book (I’m a teetotaller).

I enjoy historical fiction and occasionally read books that are set during WW2 mostly when they concern the people who aren’t on the war front. This is the second book that I have read that takes place in Guernsey and I found it fascinating. Helen Fripp’s next novel will be set in 19th century Paris and revolves around a determined young woman from the slums becoming part of the beguiling world of the new Impressionist painters. Fripp writes historical fiction that focusses on women in the past who have achieved greatness against the odds. The French House is a most moving and absorbing novel set in Guernsey during the German Occupation. At its heart is a love story between Emile, who is profoundly deaf after an accident while seeking a better life in Canada, and his childhood sweetheart Isabelle.

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The book is based on the true story of none other than Nicole Clicquot, the woman who ran the world’s greatest champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, when the world thought the business was no place for a lady. Of course, I wasn’t aware of this when I requested the book. The blurb and cover were enough to attract my attention.

who got separated due to the war and parental pressure and then who lived miserable lives during the course of the war under untold hardship. Unlike most ladies in nineteenth century France, Nicole was a wild-child tom-boy who refused to marry for society but married François Clicquot for love, and to live her life her own way. Theirs was a love that grew like the vineyards they tended together, but also one fraught with depression and loss, leaving her alone in a world where women were not welcome. If you love well-written historical fiction, are passionate about bubbly or if you want to learn more about the champagne process and Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, this is worth keeping on your radar - publication is March 4, 2021. Historical Fiction readers who enjoy snippets of romance and "real" life (aka not fluff), do read this. Just know there are occasional adult situations. The reason I chose the book was for the setting and the focus on renovation, because I expected the story to appeal to me, given that my husband and I followed the same path: renovating a mas near St Tropez. I especially loved this element of the book, and naturally I completely bought into the idyllic lifestyle CC and Victor are looking to create, and championed their cause throughout. It’s worth it; I know!I enjoyed reading about Nicole’s efforts to improve her product as well as her struggles with competitors during a time of political instability. Fripp has done her best to offer a complete picture, but I felt this attempt is also a weak point in the narrative because Fripp relies on telling versus showing to fit all the information in.

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