The Winemaker's Wife

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The selfishness Inès displays has dire consequences at the end of the book. Do you think her work in the Resistance redeemed her? And Céline, the "Jewess"...good Lord I had to force myself to read her parts, I seriously just wanted to skip over them. I couldn't stand listening to her whining and trying justify her actions and inaction. This novel was thoughtful and well-written. I learned new things about winemaking. I liked seeing the perspectives of all three women and finding out why they made the choices they did. Being an avid reader, some parts were easy for me to guess, but other parts were surprising. There were elements that threw off my guesses, as well. Through her vivid descriptions, Kristin brought Paris, Reims, and Champagne to life. I really liked Grandma Edith, as she was very sharp for her age. The Bad: A few too many coincidences for my liking and overall the characters were shallow. Though I did not particularly care for Inès, it was interesting to see her character grow over time. This book had the potential to be more but is still an overall enjoyable read. The prose is preceptive, vivid, and sincere. The characters are courageous, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot is a heartrending tale that gives us a unique view into the struggles, sacrifices, horrors, and bravery of those who lived and survived in the Champagne region during this heinous time in history.

The whole reason I applied to win this book is because I had assumed it would be about La Résistance from the point of view of a vineyard owner. THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE joins the ever-growing World War II-era historical fiction subgenre. A number of recent books, including this one, revolve around personal, lesser-known events or people who are unfamiliar to many readers. Kristin Harmel’s story is set in and around Reims, France, in the Champagne region and takes place during the German occupation of that area. She focuses on the effects of the occupation on the residents and their varying responses to the Germans.

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If you love The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Beekeeper's Promise and then you'll adore this beautiful story of love, hope and survival. Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction, WW11, France, French Resistance Movement, Wine Making Ines fears they’ll be exposed, but for Celine, the French-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate. New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.A large issue I had with this story were the romances. The love triangles in the Past timeline were too much for me. They didn’t feel real. They weren’t something I could root for. The repercussions of these love triangles are what push the story forward and since I wasn’t bought into the romances to begin with, I had no investment in what happened. For me, the heavy romance aspect took away from the serious nature of the wartime situation. The Present day romance was not believable for me — overdone and obvious. It felt forced, unrealistic and convenient for the success of the storyline. Inès looks inward for much of the novel, and as a result, she misses a lot of the horror happening around her. How did you feel about her spending time with a Nazi collaborator? How do you think Inès justified it to herself? France, wine, WWII, present day, and love - all of this wrapped into one amazing, difficult-to-put-down read.

Most of the book was a challenge to connect to the characters. They are just so unlikable that it made it hard to find anyone to get behind in this story. I anticipated most of the twists that inevitably present themselves to the reader. I found myself finding most of the plot extremely hard to believe and was constantly rolling my eyes at the conveniences that kept popping up. I also hated the present day storyline- Liv and the lawyer fall in love almost immediately- is that realistic? Maybe, but not based on what the author wrote. While I appreciated the attempt Harmel tried with presenting Ines as someone that didn't believe what the Nazi's were orchestrating, I ultimately couldn't believe how stupid she was with her decisions during this period in history. One of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen, Hedy Lamarr also designed a secret weapon against Nazi Germany. What a story. It’s both complex, yet simple and embodies the feelings, ideas and fears of people, and how they vary in extreme situations (in this case WWII). You may be thinking, another WWII book; let me assure you there are thousands of WWII stories that are all very different and worth telling. Kristin Harmel tells one of them here. Céline goes through an emotional journey over the course of the novel, worrying about her family and her own safety. Her story, sadly, is dictated by the times she lived in. Did you feel satisfied with the way it turned out, or did you want Céline’s story to go differently? A deeply thoughtful historical fiction novel, based on details of real-life Resistance activities that occurred in France during World War II' Gwendalynbooks.blog

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Liv is a superficial witch. How in the fresh hell was her first thought, after this woman raised her father and practically raised her, who shuttled her to France every summer and spent time and tons money on her trying to cheer her up and provide a stable place to escape her mother's line of marriages and divorces, who cared deeply for Liv's well being, basically be: EDITH ISN'T MY GRANDMA BECAUSE SHE'S NOT BLOOD? This is a dual timeline book mainly focusing on northern France during WWII. There are some contemporary chapters interwoven which helped propel the storyline. I’m giving the book 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars. This book’s genre is Historical Fiction. For me there were not enough historical details about the French Resistance in the Champagne region of France during the war to sink my teeth into. It often felt more like a Romance or Chic-Lit/Women’s Fiction genre book. Ines struggles with her place at the Maison Chauveau. She feels disrespected by her husband and left out of everything important. Did you feel sympathy for Ines’s predicament, or were you frustrated by her focus on her own problems? Or a mix of both? Full of betrayal, bravery and redemption, The Winemaker's Wife is a poignant look at the vineyards of WWII-era France, and the story of one family's role in fighting the Nazis. The blurb compares this novel to Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. There you have it. I must say that I enjoyed this book a lot more.

While the story is fictional, I kept looking up the historical facts about the time period in France. For instance, the French champagne makers resisted the Nazis by sending champagne in dirty bottles. Articles and history can certainly tell the facts. However, only a story like this can help us imagine what that time must have felt like to the people living in it. I looked up several of the tidbits, as Veuve Cliquot and Moët and Chandon are both mentioned in the book as part of the Resistance. It turns out, Count Robert‐Jean de Vogue, head of Moët and Chandon at the time, was part of the Resistance and sent to a concentration camp for two years until liberated. Champagne’s history is so much more interesting after reading this book. This book had so much potential. A popular champagne house in the French countryside during WWII. Fields of grapes and rolling hills. Hidden wine caves. Resistance work. Past and Present timelines. All of these aspects drew me into this intriguing storyline. However, the characters and romance aspect spoiled most of my enjoyment potential. This was a wonderfully twisty book ... I definitely want to read more from this author' The Good, the Bad and the Unread Read The Widow Clicquot by Tilar J. Mazzeo, a history of Veuve Clicquot (and a woman who’s mentioned in The Winemaker’s Wife), and compare it with the information presented about champagne making in this book. Discuss how important history and culture is to French winemaking. Much of The Winemaker’s Wife revolves around characters being complacent in a time of crisis; therefore, it’s easy for one to be willfully blind to what’s really happening. Are there other times in history where this same observation applies?

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This novel takes place in the champagne-producing region of France. How does the location play into the plot? Is the setting crucial to the story, or could this book have taken place at any vineyard during World War II? I would highly recommend The Winemaker's Wife to those who like historical fiction and women's fiction. A 5 star for me!' Stories Unfolded Blog