Title: Whispering in FrenchAuthor: Sophia Nash
Publisher: William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction
Award-winning romance author Sophia Nash makes her women’s fiction debut with a beautifully crafted, funny, and life-affirming story set in the Atlantic seaside region of France, as one woman returns to France to sell her family home and finds an unexpected chance to start over—perfect for fans of Le Divorce and The Little Paris Bookshop.
Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself…
As a child, Kate Hamilton was packed off each summer to her grandfather’s ivy-covered villa in southern France. That ancestral home, named Marthe Marie, is now crumbling, and it falls to Kate—regarded as the most responsible and practical member of her family—to return to the rugged, beautiful seaside region to confront her grandfather’s debts and convince him to sell.
Kate makes her living as a psychologist and life coach, but her own life is in as much disarray as Marthe Marie. Her marriage has ended, and she’s convinced that she has failed her teenaged daughter, Lily, in unforgiveable ways. While delving into colorful family history and the consequences of her own choices, Kate reluctantly agrees to provide coaching to Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with post-traumatic stress. Breaking through his shell, and dealing with idiosyncratic locals intent on viewing her as an Americanized outsider, will give Kate new insight into who—and where—she wants to be. The answers will prove as surprising as the secrets that reside in the centuries-old villa.
Witty and sophisticated, rich in history and culture, Sophia Nash’s novel vividly evokes both its idyllic French setting and the universal themes of self-forgiveness and rebuilding in a story as touching as it is wise.
Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself…
As a child, Kate Hamilton was packed off each summer to her grandfather’s ivy-covered villa in southern France. That ancestral home, named Marthe Marie, is now crumbling, and it falls to Kate—regarded as the most responsible and practical member of her family—to return to the rugged, beautiful seaside region to confront her grandfather’s debts and convince him to sell.
Kate makes her living as a psychologist and life coach, but her own life is in as much disarray as Marthe Marie. Her marriage has ended, and she’s convinced that she has failed her teenaged daughter, Lily, in unforgiveable ways. While delving into colorful family history and the consequences of her own choices, Kate reluctantly agrees to provide coaching to Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with post-traumatic stress. Breaking through his shell, and dealing with idiosyncratic locals intent on viewing her as an Americanized outsider, will give Kate new insight into who—and where—she wants to be. The answers will prove as surprising as the secrets that reside in the centuries-old villa.
Witty and sophisticated, rich in history and culture, Sophia Nash’s novel vividly evokes both its idyllic French setting and the universal themes of self-forgiveness and rebuilding in a story as touching as it is wise.
Whispering in French has such an air of romanticism in the cover as well as the title, don't you think? The author, Sophia Nash has a poetic side shown in her writing at times, and I think many literary fiction enthusiasts will enjoy that aspect of this novel. I think the idea of Marthe Marie, the villa that is old and decrepit seems to evoke some fantasy in it. Plus the village, the history and the culture, it reminds me a little of Under the Tuscan Sun, and not necessarily The Little Paris Bookshop. And that is sadly disappointing, since I'm more of a The Little Paris Bookshop fan than Under the Tuscan Sun.
"Perhaps you were expecting me to be kind, indeed, even beautiful in spirit if not in face, and heroic - yes, perfectly imperfect with an amusing assortment of eccentricities." (4)
I think it has more to do with the pacing seeming erratic. More slow at the beginning, yet it never really picked up, and that it also didn't translate well throughout to give a sense of development. Though, I must say, Kate's realization of finding herself was fairly thought out. This is Kate's story, no doubt about it, and that's what I wished we'd see less of, but more into what makes this premise shine. You'll see a glimpse of that periodically when she's with her grandpa, Magdali or even her mother. Unmasking her "people face" or "therapist" façade was internal, and when she finally found it, her revelation of "vibrant pattern now mixed with new pieces" was good. I leave Whispering in French hoping for more, though it has its merits, and that's why I kept reading.
"". . . where there is love there is no darkness. And there is hope." (63)
For my clean readers, please note there are some minor language to be aware of.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
Please note, all quotes are taken from ARC (essentially an uncorrected proof). Please do not share quote or if you do, please make note that it is taken from an ARC. Thank you.
TO PURCHASE A COPY
Sophia Nash was born in Switzerland and raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave.Before pursuing her long-held dream of writing, Sophia was an award-winning television producer for a CBS affiliate, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO. She lives in the Washington, D.C., suburbs with her husband and two children.
Sophia’s novels have won twelve national awards, including the prestigious RITA®Award, and two spots on Booklist‘s “Top Ten Romances of the Year.”
TO CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Thank you for reviewing Whispering In French. With best wishes, Sophia Nash
ReplyDeleteThank you Sophia for stopping by!
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
ReplyDelete