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We see Nicole as a girl, a young lady with a spark in her eyes, a wife, a mother, a widow, and most importantly, an unrelenting businesswoman. She worked in the vineyards as a worker and took the business to new heights as a successful boss. I know little about The French Revolution as I was never really a history buff. I know even less about Champagne or how it is made. So this book is probably an odd one for me to choose, but one of my goals for 2021 is to reach into genres that I normally wouldn’t read. The cover was so gorgeous that I felt compelled to raise my hand when the blog tour offer came in. I’m so glad that I did! Trapped in a tense, fearful marriage, Isabelle doesn't know what has become of Émile and the future she hoped for. But when she glimpses him from the window of the French House, their lives collide once more. It was very interesting to read about the German invasion of Guernsey as this is not a setting that I often read about in ww2. The people of Guernsey are a small community and there is a lot of suspicion and fear when the Germans bring so much danger and uncertainty, bringing the war right on their island doorstep. This historical fiction centers around Nicole Clicquot, the Widow of Reims, the real-life owner of Veuve Clicquot, the world’s most popular Champagne house in the early 1800’s. The tale covers her struggles to keep her Champagne line afloat after the loss of her husband. Facing both challenges abroad (no export options during the war) and at home (enemies, weather and so much more) Nicole braves it all for her daughter and the memory of her beloved husband.
A remarkable woman, the actual Veuve Cliquot was one of the first international businesswomen. She is credited with the production of the legendary 1811 champagne vintage and the riddling technique which eliminated the sediment that spoiled countless bottles of wine at the time. 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. I received a copy of The French House by Jacquie Bloese from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. My favorite character is Emile, his demeanor changes over the course of the story and he becomes a hero. It was interesting to read the author’s notes at the end, the house was originally called Hauteville and belonged to French novelist Victor Hugo from 1856 to 1870 and five stars from me. 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. 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!As a young girl with her whole life ahead of her, the headstrong Nicole Clicquot agrees to marry the man of her dreams I loved her passionate conviction and her adventures. And to know that they are mostly true, makes her story doubly interesting. Politics “happened in Paris, not here in safe sleepy Reims,” Nicole thinks, but life is to become more complicated for our beautiful heroine. Europe is at war and her family’s champagne estates fall into decline. Her hand is sought in marriage by neighbouring competitor, Monsieur Moët, champagne-producing mayor of Reims. It will help the family business, but will it help Nicole’s heart? What will she choose to do?
The story has so many wonderfully beautiful moments. The setting, the friendships, the courage of a woman and the beautiful writing made this a pleasurable read. There were a few slow spots throughout the story and overall, the book can feel a bit depressing as Nicole faces continued challenges, one after another. It’s best to be prepared as this is not a happy or joyful book. But I learned so much about this trailblazing woman that it made it all worthwhile. Furthermore, there are many relationship dynamics at play within the story, such as a complex father-daughter relationship between Emile and Maud, as well as Isabelle's connection to Peter, who she treats almost as a surrogate son, having lost her own son. 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. We see an array of characters, and a good number of them have been well developed. Theresa, Xavier, Natasha, Madame Oliver, Emile, Alexei, Moet (along with Nicole and Louis) have depth and appear quite real. They have flaws, they have positives, and their actions align with their personalities.Leutnant Schreiber is more comfortable wielding a paintbrush than a pistol. But he has little choice in the role he is forced to play in the occupying forces - or in his own forbidden desires. 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. 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. In this book, as on Belle Île, I have followed the light of a glowworm on a country lane.” That prett much sums up this book - rambling and a bit vague. I had trouble following the timeline and the details, and the book was missing what I love about books like this - a real sense of place and characters.
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