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Kathryn K. (Oceanside, CA)
Amour Provence
I am one of many that love stories taking place in France. Amour Provence, by Constance Leisure caught my attention because I knew little about this location. Her writing is lyrical as she describes the small villages and the characters she creates. I could feel the place, hear the grapes growing and smell lavender in the air. Reading more like a collection of short stories that share space but not always time, you slowly see some connections. This makes it a good choice for book clubs! There is enough material for differing interpretations. But - it only worked for me when I flipped it in my head that I was
…more reading short stories rather than chapters of a novel. (less)I've never been to southern France, but have always enjoyed books set in Provence so I had high expectations for this book. The book is beautifully written, each chapter introducing us to the interesting inhabitants of two tiny villages. I would have liked a little more plot, but I think Francophiles will be satisfied with the descriptions of the extremes of the landscape and climate and of the people who inhabit these tiny villages.
Kathy K. (ME)
Interesting Short Story/Novel Hybrid
Three and a half stars.
The setting of this book, in an area of Provence widely populated by vintners, is a major strength of this book. I appreciated that the descriptions in this novel went well beyond the pat and stereotypical musings on the fields of lavender and sunflowers that many books set in Provence never venture past. I felt the towns (mostly fictional, I believe) came to life and served as characters of their own. Since this is not a typical story of an American tourist traveling in Provence, the stories themselves are also more gritty than some readers might expect. Many stories involve tragedies or
…more more unsavory aspects of life, though the book is not sad or depressing as a whole, and learning bits and pieces about the lives of vintners and the culture of Provence was fascinating.
The biggest fault of this book lies not with the story itself, but with the synopsis on the jacket, which is a bit misleading. The summary leads the reader to believe this is a novel following a group of friends. While this is somewhat true, the book reads more as a novel told in short stories. Many chapters pass without any of the main characters interacting in a meaningful way, and even by the end, some of the stories remain separate from one another, though they are all tied together by their shared setting of neighboring Provencal villages. While the individual stories have mostly satisfying resolutions, the book does not follow a typical structure with a beginning, middle, and end, and there is no climax to the novel as a whole. However, the glimpses into each character's life and home are enjoyable and well-written, and the characters themselves are unique, flawed, and interesting.
The separate nature of some of the stories may make it a difficult read for book clubs. Overall, though, this is a quiet and well-written book that lies somewhere between short stories and a novel.
[Editor's note: Kathy read an "advanced reading copy" of Amour Provence. ARCs are produced around 6 months ahead of publication, before the final round of editing has been done. It is not unusual for the synopsis on the book jacket to change between the ARC and the final version. Perhaps this will be the case with this book] (less)I liked the organization of the book and the way the story progressed in a series of vignettes. Fortunately, the author didn't switch back and forth between the main characters but devoted 2 chapters to each main character and presented them in a way to move the story along. I almost stopped reading though after the middle of the book because it seemed that everyone had an unhappy circumstance. There were a few characters who I felt did not add to the story and also some issues that were presented but never resolved.
I think that the author described the characters and the villages adequately although subtly.
…more Overall, the characters were interesting, but I would have preferred a little more plot and cohesiveness to the book. (less)This novel is a historical romance that portrays life in two neighboring villages in northern Provence. The interesting similarity between current day prejudices and the lives of different cultures trying to exist together within the same area are profound. Understanding personal experiences, taking the time to tolerate diversity and finding courage within oneself to change with the times. I enjoyed the characters more as the story progressed and found the ending to be better than satisfactory.
Shawna (TX)
The People in Northern Provence
I wanted to love this book. Armour Provence is well written, but it is not so much a novel but a stroll through tiny French villages looking into the lives of a series of characters. The stories of the characters are interesting but lacked overall cohesiveness. Knowing that the book focuses on multiple characters as the main story might have helped me enjoy it more.
Eve A. (Henderson, NV)
Amour Provence
This book was not at all what I expected from the description. It is the story of a small winemaking village in Provence and the people who live there. The "sense of place" was wonderful and very descriptive of the beautiful scenery in that part of France. I found the stories of the people confusing as it took a while to see their connection, I expected the story to focus on two people but it did not. Instead it seemed to be more like short stories. I also found it slow going at times. Perhaps someone who has traveled to this part of the world would enjoy it. The book held my interest enough to finish it but
…more certainly is not on my list of top ten books I have read this year. (less)The descriptions of the setting were detailed and lovely and made me want to visit this part of France, especially to see the vineyards. I enjoyed learning about some of the vintner traditions and struggles and the importance of the land to families. I was surprised and saddened about the prejudice against the Algerian workers. It was a little confusing keeping track of the characters and the passage of time. This collection of somewhat connected short stories was not what I was expecting from the initial description, so I was a little disappointed that I could not follow the lives of these people in more detail.
…more I wanted more interactions between the characters throughout the years. While they were interesting, I felt I only saw snapshots of small parts of their lives and I was left wanting more. (less)
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