Publication Date: 27th June 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/GirlfromNormandy
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220707309-the-girl-from-normandy
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Dual Timeline
3 Stars
One Liner: Interesting premise!
Book Blurb:
Paris, 1940: Marie-Claire steps into the Gare de Lyon,
not knowing it will be the last time she'll see her husband and son. Fleeing
occupied Paris, she travels into the countryside of Normandy and stumbles upon
a chateau near Caen and a growing resistance movement. Soon, Marie-Claire finds
herself working in a cafe in the quiet village of Sainte-Mère-Église, where she
tries to come to terms with all she has lost – but little does she realise that
her presence in Normandy will change the course of history…
1998: Half a century later, Esther is returning to the
Normandy village she visited as a teenager, seeking a break from her monotonous
life. Back then, she'd fallen in love with a rustic farmhouse and the family
that lived there – not least the charming eldest son, Jules Joubert. But now,
when Esther discovers an old annotated cookbook in the family kitchen, she
begins to realise that the place she holds so close to her heart may hide more
secrets than even the Jouberts realise...
What stories does the area carry? And could this trip
change Esther’s life forever?
***
My Thoughts:
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Esther, Marie-Claire, and a couple of other characters.
It has been a long time since I read WWII fiction, that too with the popular dual timeline setting. This one sounded good as I could explore another region of France, Normandy.
The premise is solid. There’s no denying that. The
alternating chapters for each track also work well to bring some suspense and
keep the reader hooked.
However, both timelines have so much going on that
neither gets a chance to be fully explored. Everything happens in 4x speed; one
event after another.
Though you’ll want to slow down and feel the emotions,
the narration (which is mostly ‘telling’) doesn’t give you that chance. We see
how the Nazis were, what they did, et al. However, we cannot fully experience
what the characters are going through.
The setting is, of course, lovely. I did enjoy the
glimpses into the places mentioned. Some of the events in the book are based on
real ones. That’s a bonus.
A couple of developments were strange, like an awkward
kind. I couldn’t really understand the reasons, TBH. That said, the book ends
on a happy/ hopeful note, which I appreciate.
The side characters were lovely, especially the ones
from the historical timeline. I liked them all.
To summarize, The Girl from Normandy is a decent read
if you want a lighter version of WWII fiction. I finished it sooner than
expected, so no complaints.
Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and
Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest
opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
***
About the Author – Rachel Sweasey
Rachel was born to English 10-pound-pom parents in
sub-tropical Brisbane, Australia, and when the family moved back to Poole,
Dorset, she was just 5 years old. She then grew up against the stunning
backdrop of Poole Harbour where she sailed and played on the beaches of
Brownsea Island and Studland, and walked across the Purbeck Hills, all of which
inspired her imagination and provided the setting of her debut historical
fiction novel set in WWII. Since then, Rachel has moved back to Brisbane,
Australia.
Follow the Author:
Facebook: @RachelSweaseyAuthor
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RachelSweaseyNews
Bookbub Profile: @rachelsweaseyauthor
***
This has been a stop on the #TheGirlFromNormandy blog
tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources).
Thanks for stopping by!
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