Whispering in French
Summary:
Award-winning romance author Sophia Nash makes her women’s fiction debut with a beautifully crafted, funny, and life-affirming story set in the Atlantic seaside region of France, as one woman returns to France to sell her family home and finds an unexpected chance to start over—perfect for fans of “Le Divorce” and “The Little Paris Bookshop”.
Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself…
As a child, Kate Hamilton was packed off each summer to her grandfather’s ivy-covered villa in southern France. That ancestral home, named Marthe Marie, is now crumbling, and it falls to Kate—regarded as the most responsible and practical member of her family—to return to the rugged, beautiful seaside region to confront her grandfather’s debts and convince him to sell.
Kate makes her living as a psychologist and life coach, but her own life is in as much disarray as Marthe Marie. Her marriage has ended, and she’s convinced that she has failed her teenaged daughter, Lily, in unforgiveable ways. While delving into colorful family history and the consequences of her own choices, Kate reluctantly agrees to provide coaching to Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with post-traumatic stress. Breaking through his shell, and dealing with idiosyncratic locals intent on viewing her as an Americanized outsider, will give Kate new insight into who—and where—she wants to be. The answers will prove as surprising as the secrets that reside in the centuries-old villa.
Witty and sophisticated, rich in history and culture, Sophia Nash’s novel vividly evokes both its idyllic French setting and the universal themes of self-forgiveness and rebuilding in a story as touching as it is wise. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Please note: I received a free copy of this book courtesy of TLC Book Tours and I voluntarily chose to write a review.
Review:
I really enjoy books where the character goes through a transformational change for the better and identifies ways to have a little contentment in their lives. Kate is a mess, no way around that, and is holding things together by a thread. As the sole voice of reason trying to get her family back on track, she finds it’s her family is who gets her back on track.
This book was evocative of the culture, region and weather of the area, which made the book deeper than a superficial book on a chick who become a better person. Some of my favorite moments are between Kate and Edward where it’s a fight for the truth, and nothing but the truth, no matter how painful that may be. I found the book had me thinking deeper than expected and would recommend this one to anyone.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who like books with characters who go through transformational changes and find contentment in the process.