I love to stay close to authors I´ve loved to read. Ann Bennett is one of them, and I feel more than honoured to have been offered the chance of reading and reviewing her latest, The French Wife, set in France, is built around the emotional connection between two women that never met, and will never meet in real life: Emma, recently divorced, who after facing a child loss and a painful divorce, discovers in the cupboard of a cottage she just purchased an old photo of a couple. Amelie, portrayed in the photo, survived the Nazi occupation of France, and together with her husband, Bruno, owned the farmhouse. While Bruno used to hid Resistance fighters in the cellar, Amelie is privy to hidden truths that may stay burried.
From one century to another, the two women, both having known heartbreak and deep disappointment, do connect, with Emma carefully tracing deeply hidden histories and details of a life burried in secrets, during hard times.
Although dealing with very sensitive topics, the author, as usual, is taking the tension through an empathic and emotionally balanced writing. The idea of deep understanding beyond time and historical circumstances requires a well chiselled way of dealing with words.
The French Wife was a very interesting read, thoughtful and immersive. Given my reading experience with Ann Bennett, I cannot wait to see where her new book will take their readers to.
Rating: 5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own
No comments:
Post a Comment