In The Shade of the Almond Trees: tour quotations
Dominique Marny
on Tour
September 29 – October 8
with
In the Shade of the Almond Trees
(historical fiction)
Release date: September 29, 2015
at Open Road Media
280 pages
ISBN: 978-1480461178
SYNOPSIS
In the aftermath of World War I, a family estate hangs in the balance.
For generations, the Barthélemy family tended to the olive trees of Restanques, a sprawling property in Cotignac whose olive oil and almonds were as incredible as the countryside that produced them. But all that changed when war came to France. Robert Barthélemy never returned from the trenches, and without him, the farm is beginning to die. His widow has lost the will to live, and only the fierce efforts of their daughter, Jeanne, have kept the creditors at bay.
Jeanne is spending an afternoon at home with the family’s grim financial statements when a handsome stranger appears on the front steps. His name is Jérôme Guillaumin and he is a brilliant botanist about to embark on a journey around the globe. From the moment they meet, Jeanne is struck by feelings she never thought possible: feelings that could save her life or destroy everything she has ever known. [provided by the publisher]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dominique Marny
was raised in a family
that loved art, literature, adventure, and travel.
In addition to being a novelist,
she is a playwright and screenwriter,
and writes for various magazines.
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TOUR QUOTATIONS
Marny always manages to exploit her characters emotional strength, fragility and vulnerability yet they manage to overcome victoriously. Her lush descriptions of France be it untouched countryside or the bustling city captivates the reader without hesitation. I find her romances contain the perfect blend of mischance and serendipity, always a pleasure to read.
The pace of Marny’s prose is measured and restful, like the undulating rows of olive trees in their estate of Restanques.
What I liked most about this novel was that it presented two strong female characters, who were NOT romantic rivals, but rather childhood friends, whose lives converged again at this critical moment.
At the risk of repeating a stereotype, this novel felt ‘very French’ to me (in the best way!), focusing as it did on the sometimes disastrous love affairs of the principal characters. Perhaps that is just the hallmark of good historical romance, in any language!
With the strength of this book’s compassionate portrayals of Jeanne and Rosalie, and Marny’s sure hand in crafting a well-paced story, In the Shade of the Almond Trees captured my interest throughout, and I can highly recommend this slice of Provençal life and love in the aftermath of the First World War.
This novel is set in the years directly after the First World War and as well as beautiful descriptions of it’s Provencal setting and the olive and almond tree orchards, that conjured up perfect pictures in my mind, there was lots of historical interest added in as well.
We are shown a snippet of the real Provence of the period and this all added to the story for me, making it a very enjoyable read.
This would be an ideal book for readers who enjoy historical fiction set in France.
I loved the atmosphere of this book, the author makes some wonderful descriptions of the countryside: its colors, its scents, fruits, local markets. It makes you really feel like going to visit this estate.
I appreciated very much the choice of the author to use an omniscient narrator, it was possible to know the story from the point of view of all the characters, it was really exciting.
It’s the first book I read of this author but I like her style and will certainly read something else.
It was a compelling historical novel, the pace is not fast but the setting and the characters are lovable. It’s well written and was a real treat.
I definitely recommend this one.
Filled with colorful characters, the beauty of the countryside, the changing social structures and a young woman’s discovery of love, this is a book romance lovers will enjoy.
I did enjoy a lot of things about the book such as the way the scenes are built, and the way the characters are experiencing uncertainty when it comes to romance or whom they should be with, and the language or the way the book is translated has a strange beauty that pulls one in and doesn’t really let them go.
History from a Woman’s Perspective
Overall, this story is about one woman’s strength and perseverance to survive. It is filled with loss, love, family, hope, and choices.
I liked the author’s writing, and I thought the setting of Jeanne’s countryside farm was beautifully described. I recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction, strong heroines, France, and the aftermath of World War I.
Musings of a Writer & Unabashed Francophile
There are a great many characters, and this book is written in a omniscient point of view, which is one that is not used very commonly.
The book was interesting in a historical sense, and learning about olive groves and nougat and almonds and such, because I had little idea of these things before.
October 15, 2015
WordsAndPeace
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