THE FRENCH WINEMAKER’S DAUGHTER
By: Loretta Ellsworth
Published: December 10, 2024
Publisher: Harper
Historical Fiction
Author Loretta Ellsworth is previously known for writing young adult novels. In 2017, her debut adult historical fiction novel, STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE, was published to rave reviews, including from me! One of the reasons I loved it was that it was set in Iowa at the famous Surf Ballroom. Her newest novel, however, is set mostly in France and a bit in Chicago.
Also a WWII novel, this dual-narrative takes readers back to 1942 France where we meet a young girl, Martine, who is told to hide because the Germans are coming. She and her father live on their family’s vineyard where Martine knows more about growing grapes than reading or writing. Her father hands her a bottle of wine and tells her to guard this with her life until he returns.
“But how do you know what choices you would make until you have to make them?”
Next, we meet Charlotte and it’s 1990. Charlotte is a pilot with frequent trips to Paris, which due to her seniority, she often chooses. Charlotte was very close to her grandfather who owned a vineyard in California, but her dad needed to sell it as no one in the family was interested in running it. Charlotte hates to see this family history being sold but is also stuck without the means to buy it herself.
After a recent flight to France, Charlotte meets up with her French boyfriend to attend an auction of highly sought-after wine, many left behind by German soldiers after WWII. Charlotte realizes that many of these wines were stolen from Jewish families by German soldiers. She begins to feel uneasy about being part of this auction yet is excited when Henri wins a bid on a box of wine. After taking the most valuable of the bottles, he gives one to Charlotte thinking it isn’t worth anything until Charlotte finds something special about the wine while cleaning it.
Charlotte becomes determined to learn the history of this particular bottle of wine after finding out that it actually is quite valuable. Charlotte begins a quest that takes her to various vineyards around France. Intermixed with Martine’s survival during the war and Charlotte’s research to learn all she can about the vineyard on the bottle will keep the readers excited to keep turning the pages.
Reading about the war from a child’s perspective offers an insight that is rarely seen in historical fiction. Martine was very innocent about what was happening in the world around her and survived numerous close calls. Her childhood was stolen from her at the age of seven. When I think of the seven-year-olds I know today, I can’t imagine them having to run for miles in the cold, all alone and without food, along with being sure to stay hidden from the German soldiers. Unfortunately, this happened to many children during the war.
“So many miracles that had kept her alive. Had she lived in a way that honored the life she’d been given? She hoped so.”
Even though the storyline was a bit predictable, Charlotte’s journey to finding the true history of that bottle of wine was so enjoyable. Martine and Charlotte both experienced a bit of romance in their lives and a few twists and turns made the reading experience full of surprises. War history, including those who fought for the Resistance, a bit of mystery, and some romance come together in this new novel and I think fans of historical fiction will love it.
Loretta Ellsworth earned a master’s degree in Writing for Children from Hamline University. She’s the author of four young adult novels: THE SHROUDING WOMAN, a Rebecca Caudill nominee; IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD, which won the Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Honor Award, was a Teen’s Top Ten finalist, an IRA Notable, and was named to the New York Library’s List of Books for the Teen Age; IN A HEARTBEAT, which was named a spring Midwest Connection’s Pick and an ALA Notable; and UNFORGETTABLE, which was a Kirkus Pick of the Month. Her debut adult novel STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2017. In 2023, she published her debut picture book, Tangle-Knot. A former Spanish teacher, she lives with her family in Minnesota. Visit her website, HERE.
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Posted Under Book Review, France, historical fiction, Loretta Ellsworth, WWII