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The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted. Bridget Asher
Still mourning the loss of the husband, Heidi travels with Abbott, her obsessive-compulsive 7-year-old son and Charlotte, her jaded 16-year-old niece, to a small village in the south of France. There, she uncovers old family secrets, and a few startling new ones.
350 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
144 people are currently reading
4028 people want to read
About the author
Bridget Asher
23 books138 followersJulianna Baggott
aka
Bridget Asher & N.E. Bode
Borned on 30 September 1969, she teaches at Florida State University. She's married to David G.W. Scott and has four kids. Along with her husband, she is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Kids in Need - Books in Deed., getting free books to underprivileged kids in Florida.
Today, she is a critically acclaimed and bestselling author, who wrote novels and poetry, and who has over fifty overseas editions of her books. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Best American Poetry, Best Creative Nonfiction, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Here & Now. For two years, her alter-ego, N. E. Bode was a recurring personality on XM Radio. Her work has been a People Magazine pick alongside David Sedaris and Bill Clinton, a Washington Post Book of the Week, a Girl's Life Top Ten, a Booksense selection, and a Starbucks Bookish Reading Club pick.
aka
Bridget Asher & N.E. Bode
Borned on 30 September 1969, she teaches at Florida State University. She's married to David G.W. Scott and has four kids. Along with her husband, she is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Kids in Need - Books in Deed., getting free books to underprivileged kids in Florida.
Today, she is a critically acclaimed and bestselling author, who wrote novels and poetry, and who has over fifty overseas editions of her books. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Best American Poetry, Best Creative Nonfiction, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Here & Now. For two years, her alter-ego, N. E. Bode was a recurring personality on XM Radio. Her work has been a People Magazine pick alongside David Sedaris and Bill Clinton, a Washington Post Book of the Week, a Girl's Life Top Ten, a Booksense selection, and a Starbucks Bookish Reading Club pick.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 504 reviews
March 28, 2011
This novel has been compared to Eat, Pray, Love, a memoir that I absolutely hated. Thankfully for The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted, this novel was everything that Eat, Pray, Love wasn't. It had characters that I cared about and a plot that actually moved. By the end of the book I wasn't happy it was over; I was sad there weren't more pages to read.
Two years after her husbands tragic death, Heidi is still struggling to come to terms with it. Then, when her family's home in southern France is damaged in a kitchen fire, her mother convinces her to take her young son and jaded-with-life niece to France to begin repairs and renovations. There Heidi will learn more about herself and her relationship with her deceased husband, her son will grow, and her niece will harbor a life-changing secret that will bring the family together in a way they've never been together before.
Heidi's character was not selfish. It would only be natural for her to take on a sense of "woe is me" because her husband was gone, but she was also focused on her son, whom she loved with all her heart. The characters in this novel are real, believable and deep. The scenery is gorgeous and themes throughout the novel are woven together. It was complex and beautiful.
Note: Despite the fact that I won a free copy of this novel, that fact didn't influence my review in anyway. I genuinely loved this novel
Two years after her husbands tragic death, Heidi is still struggling to come to terms with it. Then, when her family's home in southern France is damaged in a kitchen fire, her mother convinces her to take her young son and jaded-with-life niece to France to begin repairs and renovations. There Heidi will learn more about herself and her relationship with her deceased husband, her son will grow, and her niece will harbor a life-changing secret that will bring the family together in a way they've never been together before.
Heidi's character was not selfish. It would only be natural for her to take on a sense of "woe is me" because her husband was gone, but she was also focused on her son, whom she loved with all her heart. The characters in this novel are real, believable and deep. The scenery is gorgeous and themes throughout the novel are woven together. It was complex and beautiful.
Note: Despite the fact that I won a free copy of this novel, that fact didn't influence my review in anyway. I genuinely loved this novel
August 6, 2011
I know this book has gotten a lot of good reviews but it bordered on drivel. Part of that is because while I am the first to say that recovering from grief takes as long as it takes, you have to have some desire to stop wallowing in it, bathing it in, reveling in and defining yourself by it. And that's what Heidi does. Her husband was killed in a freak accident 2 years earlier. Her business (a pastry shop) is alive only because of her business partner. Her son has become extremely neurotic. And she just doesn't give a damn. Her mother convinces to go to Provence with her son and her step-niece to renovate the old family house. There, despite herself, she find love again. But it isn't a romance. Nor is it a food memory story, though the author tried to make it so. But Heidi was so weak, so dislikable. I pitied her son and I did blame her for much of what happened as she chose to sleepwalk through life. I understood that she had a perfect marriage or at least a perfect love but celebrate that you had it, because most people never get that much. It was very well read which is why I kept listening.
June 30, 2011
This book did not begin until page 130. Yes, that is right, you have to wade through that many pages for the story to really get its start, to become interesting. The first hundred pages deal with the depth of grief a widow has over her deceased husband and how every moment is consumed with thoughts of him and protecting their young child. The grief was overwhelming and strong and had me thinking that this was not the book that I wanted it to be. Finally, after page 100 or so our widow and her son will travel to the family house in Provence. FINALLY! If you have lasted this long it the book, this is where the story gets better. Immersed in a new country with a new language and foreign shops and people, the widow and her son start to breathe again. The dead husband is no longer all-consuming. In fact the widow starts to taste food again for the first time in two years. Soon the widow meets up with Julian, once the little boy who sat across from her when she was a child, now a grown man who shows them the town and adventures. Predictably you can see where this is headed.
December 14, 2015
This book touched me in a deep and personal way. I have seen countless portrayals of love; most are simplistic. All of Bridget Asher's books manage to capture this elusive concept in staggering detail and complexity. With each passing book her storytelling skills increase and she is able to reach ever higher levels of truth.
In addition to love, her books give equal attention to loss and grief. Most, if not all, of this complexity comes from the melding, blending, and transforming power of these two emotions.
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted focuses more than ever on the latter emotion. What I found most striking was the transcendent nature of the characters' grief. While there have been countless portrayals of love, I have never found such a true story of mourning. There were several instances of (I'm sorry I can't come up with a better word) truth. Here is but one example:
"I was painfully aware how selfish my grief was. My eight-year-old son had lost his father. Henry's parents had lost their son. And Henry had lost his life. What right did I have to use Henry's death as an excuse--time and again-- to check out?"
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted may be propelled by death-- both literal and figurative-- but it manages to have light moments, too. How could it not? Life is full of both, and this book is such a wonderful homage to just that.
If I had one critique, it would be that there is the slightest tinge of corniness, or cheesiness, or hokiness, or whatever you want to call it, concerning the house in France. Chalk it up to my lack of faith in mysticism, but the repeated "miracles" were hard to swallow. As they were minor enough in the scheme of things, it is easy to let slide, especially in the onslaught of emotional resonance. (Does that even make sense? I'm having a hard time conveying this idea.) It can, perhaps, be best summed up with this:
"Every good love story has another love hiding within it."
and...
"Grief is a love story told backward just as love is a grief story told backward."
I highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone. We're talking about pretty universal stuff, after all.
In addition to love, her books give equal attention to loss and grief. Most, if not all, of this complexity comes from the melding, blending, and transforming power of these two emotions.
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted focuses more than ever on the latter emotion. What I found most striking was the transcendent nature of the characters' grief. While there have been countless portrayals of love, I have never found such a true story of mourning. There were several instances of (I'm sorry I can't come up with a better word) truth. Here is but one example:
"I was painfully aware how selfish my grief was. My eight-year-old son had lost his father. Henry's parents had lost their son. And Henry had lost his life. What right did I have to use Henry's death as an excuse--time and again-- to check out?"
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted may be propelled by death-- both literal and figurative-- but it manages to have light moments, too. How could it not? Life is full of both, and this book is such a wonderful homage to just that.
If I had one critique, it would be that there is the slightest tinge of corniness, or cheesiness, or hokiness, or whatever you want to call it, concerning the house in France. Chalk it up to my lack of faith in mysticism, but the repeated "miracles" were hard to swallow. As they were minor enough in the scheme of things, it is easy to let slide, especially in the onslaught of emotional resonance. (Does that even make sense? I'm having a hard time conveying this idea.) It can, perhaps, be best summed up with this:
"Every good love story has another love hiding within it."
and...
"Grief is a love story told backward just as love is a grief story told backward."
I highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone. We're talking about pretty universal stuff, after all.
February 24, 2020
Heidi is brokenhearted and lost after the death of her husband and soul mate Henry in an auto accident. Her mother "sends" her to renovate and repair the broken down family house in a small village in Provence, along with her 7 year-old obsessive-compulsive son and her teenage niece, also suffering some heartbreak of their own.
I will be reviewing this book in more detail for a Book Tour in March but I really enjoyed it. Well-written, good characters and a good blend of humor and sadness.
update: here's the link to my more detailed review and a dish inspired from it: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
I will be reviewing this book in more detail for a Book Tour in March but I really enjoyed it. Well-written, good characters and a good blend of humor and sadness.
update: here's the link to my more detailed review and a dish inspired from it: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
September 13, 2013
I just have to finish what I start which is how I got the end of the book. This book is a great example of why first person narrative can be frustrating; Heidi has lost her beloved husband, Henry to a freak car accident...and Heidi's narrative meanders all over the place, illustrating how her life is out of focus since Henry's death...I just found it tiresome instead of feeling her grief. I was on page 70-something and considered giving it up...but I liked the character of Charlotte, the teen with issues...but the author only skirts around the issues, there is no real explanation for some of the characters motivations. There was no build up, no suspense to the discoveries Heidi needs to make...it took me a few extra days to finish it, I kept waiting for a twist or turn...
October 13, 2011
It took me to well over half way through this book to forgive the author for making this a sappy romance instead of a book about Heidi going to France to put her mother's house and herself in order. It was in my humble opinion for too heavy on Heidi's grief which she obviously wanted to keep hold of instead of living. I thought the book was just okay and cannot say I would recommend it to anyone.
April 20, 2016
3.5 stars...
Parts of this book I really liked, but it took a bit to get to them. The first almost third of the book drags a bit with details of Heidi's grief over her Husband, who has been dead for 2 years. She wallows in it, refusing to accept and move on. The story finally moves on and gets interesting once Heidi moves to Provence at her Mother's prodding and starts to see and feel a little again.
Parts of this book I really liked, but it took a bit to get to them. The first almost third of the book drags a bit with details of Heidi's grief over her Husband, who has been dead for 2 years. She wallows in it, refusing to accept and move on. The story finally moves on and gets interesting once Heidi moves to Provence at her Mother's prodding and starts to see and feel a little again.
October 12, 2011
never rose above chicklit.......i shoulda checked reviews before reading. when women write romantic novels the men are always reduced to incredibly handsome, sensitive, always concerned about the women's needs and never theirs......should be in the fantasy genre.
ah...well......on to something better and slightly less ensconced in romantic fog
ah...well......on to something better and slightly less ensconced in romantic fog
April 6, 2020
3,5 estrelas Um livro já antigo de uma editora que acho que já nem existe ou pelo menos já não publica este tipo de livros. Um livro cliché que fala de superação da morte de alguém, que fala de família. A tradução é exemplar, hoje em dia já nem se traduzem romances assim, com isto quero dizer que este simples romance tem mais de 50 notas de rodapé e no final até tem uma página com perguntas sobre o livro e temas de debate! Apenas a pontuação não é maior porque duvido que daqui a uns tempos me lembre dele mas no geral gostei tanto da história como das personagens.
July 12, 2015
4 de 5 estrellas.
- Lo mejor: El entorno, la maravillosa provenza francesa. La felicidad de las cosas sencillas, la forma de encontrarse, de perderse y de salir adelante.
- Lo peor: Un tanto previsible y con un toque algo dramático que entristece un poco.
- El mejor personaje: Abbot, es adorable... un niño especial
- El que menos me ha gustado: Daniel, que ser tan tan egoísta.
Lo recomiendo para estos días de verano, es entretenido, sentimental y te permite viajar a un pueblo precioso
- Lo mejor: El entorno, la maravillosa provenza francesa. La felicidad de las cosas sencillas, la forma de encontrarse, de perderse y de salir adelante.
- Lo peor: Un tanto previsible y con un toque algo dramático que entristece un poco.
- El mejor personaje: Abbot, es adorable... un niño especial
- El que menos me ha gustado: Daniel, que ser tan tan egoísta.
Lo recomiendo para estos días de verano, es entretenido, sentimental y te permite viajar a un pueblo precioso
May 13, 2012
Very predictable, I found the characters unrealistic, unsympathetic and hard to follow at times.
April 5, 2019
This was a book challenge read for me. I didn't think I'd care for this one, but I actually liked it, even though the romance was predictable and a little too sweet. The story was also slow to start. The set up seemed like it took forever, but I liked Heidi, the MC, and her son Abbott. The story was also a "feel-good" fluffy kind of book. Some of this had me laughing out loud and some of it had me rolling my eyes. But it fit perfectly into my day. So 3 stars.
June 22, 2017
Forget the title. This is a better book than what that indicates. I bypassed this book in the library for ages because the title simply made my teeth ache for sweetness. And yet the Provence bit continued to draw me to it. This is in fact not a sweet book. It is a rich book about grief, loss, restoration and hope. Things that we need to know more about. Also - quite, quite beautifully written. Recommended.
August 15, 2011
Horrible, predictable, tedious- had to force myself to finish it. So much whining- it was hard to feel anything but impatience for the protagonist.
June 11, 2017
Questo libro non mi ha convinto del tutto.
Nel complesso non è un brutto libro, però non ha rispecchiato le mie aspettative, anzi.
L’inizio è veramente lento e troppo noioso: non so bene che forza di volontà mi abbia fatto superare le prime 100 pagine senza buttare il libro giù dalla finestra.
Non succede nulla, le pagine sono un continuo di Heidi che si lamenta per la morte del marito e per il fatto che tutti pensano che dovrebbe cercare di superarla.
Poi, finalmente, arriviamo in Provenza e lì le cose iniziano a risvegliarsi un po’. Esattamente come la protagonista, che finalmente si risveglia dal torpore della sua vita e inizia a superare gli avvenimenti di due anni prima e ad innamorarsi di Julian.
Nel complesso, in realtà, è tutto molto prevedibile.
Per quel che riguarda i personaggi, devo dire che alcuni mi sono piaciuti molto, altri decisamente no.
Tra i no, al primo posto spicca la protagonista: sua mi è piaciuta la crescita che subisce il personaggio, la sua capacità, alla fine, di ricominciare ad amare. Però per tutto il tempo sembra quasi che non lo voglia fare e questa sua modifica avviene praticamente in un battito di ciglia e nemmeno te ne accorgi. Inoltre l’ho trovata abbastanza piatta e noiosa.
Negativo anche Julian, che per un sacco di pagine potrebbe benissimo essere sostituito con un manichino. Non viene mai descritto come vera e propria persona, solo come ciò di cui Heidi ha bisogno in quel momento.
E allora vi chiederete: Che personaggi mi sono piaciuti? La risposta è tutti quelli secondar. In primis vi è Charlotte, che ho trovato un personaggio molto forte per la sua età, con la testa sulle spalle. E poi Abbot, che mi ha fatto molta tenerezza. Anche Abbot subisce un’evoluzione importante e devo dire che anche questa è stata un po’ affrettata, ma al contrario rispetto a sua madre: al posto di avvenire completamente alla fine del romanzo, avviene appena arrivano in Provenza.
La cosa migliore del libro, però, è rappresentata da tutte le storie sulla casa e sull’amore: mi hanno molto affascinato e credo che siano state queste a farmi continuare, e finire, la lettura.
Nel complesso il libro risulta però molto mediocre e scontato. Una lettura che non consiglierei.
Nel complesso non è un brutto libro, però non ha rispecchiato le mie aspettative, anzi.
L’inizio è veramente lento e troppo noioso: non so bene che forza di volontà mi abbia fatto superare le prime 100 pagine senza buttare il libro giù dalla finestra.
Non succede nulla, le pagine sono un continuo di Heidi che si lamenta per la morte del marito e per il fatto che tutti pensano che dovrebbe cercare di superarla.
Poi, finalmente, arriviamo in Provenza e lì le cose iniziano a risvegliarsi un po’. Esattamente come la protagonista, che finalmente si risveglia dal torpore della sua vita e inizia a superare gli avvenimenti di due anni prima e ad innamorarsi di Julian.
Nel complesso, in realtà, è tutto molto prevedibile.
Per quel che riguarda i personaggi, devo dire che alcuni mi sono piaciuti molto, altri decisamente no.
Tra i no, al primo posto spicca la protagonista: sua mi è piaciuta la crescita che subisce il personaggio, la sua capacità, alla fine, di ricominciare ad amare. Però per tutto il tempo sembra quasi che non lo voglia fare e questa sua modifica avviene praticamente in un battito di ciglia e nemmeno te ne accorgi. Inoltre l’ho trovata abbastanza piatta e noiosa.
Negativo anche Julian, che per un sacco di pagine potrebbe benissimo essere sostituito con un manichino. Non viene mai descritto come vera e propria persona, solo come ciò di cui Heidi ha bisogno in quel momento.
E allora vi chiederete: Che personaggi mi sono piaciuti? La risposta è tutti quelli secondar. In primis vi è Charlotte, che ho trovato un personaggio molto forte per la sua età, con la testa sulle spalle. E poi Abbot, che mi ha fatto molta tenerezza. Anche Abbot subisce un’evoluzione importante e devo dire che anche questa è stata un po’ affrettata, ma al contrario rispetto a sua madre: al posto di avvenire completamente alla fine del romanzo, avviene appena arrivano in Provenza.
La cosa migliore del libro, però, è rappresentata da tutte le storie sulla casa e sull’amore: mi hanno molto affascinato e credo che siano state queste a farmi continuare, e finire, la lettura.
Nel complesso il libro risulta però molto mediocre e scontato. Una lettura che non consiglierei.
September 27, 2017
Un libro delicioso sobre los nuevos comienzos. Muy feelgood.
July 3, 2018
Singela e sabiamente fala do resgate da escuta a si mesmo, por meio das linguagens da alma: o sentir e as sensações
July 27, 2014
If you had asked me 50 pages in, I would have said this book is a waste of time and worth about 2 stars if you're feeling particularly generous that day. Now that I'm done reading it, I would give it more like 3.25 stars.
The plot is known: Heidi Buckley is still mourning the death of her husband who passed away in a car accident the year before. Heidi's 8 year old son Abbott, has become obsessive compulsive as a way to manage his own grief. Heidi's mom is heartbroken that the family summer home in the south of France (isn't that where your summer home is located?) has been damaged due to a fire. The house is the backdrop to centuries of love stories and apparently has the power to heal a broken heart. Heidi's mom dispatches Heidi, Abbott and Charlotte, the sarcastic stepdaughter of Heidi's sister, to go to France to repair the house and take in some of its healing powers to boot.
I struggled in some critical places with this book. One, Heidi was a scatter-brained sap who I didn't feel like was grieving her husband Henry, so much as wishing he were there to do the hard stuff in life for her. He's presented as the one who kept the trains running on time in their lives and not a partner and being of his own. What was missing was sorrow. Heidi presented him as the one who'd find your lost car keys. Two, this windswept love they supposedly shared felt immature and childish. Bridget's writing felt like how you'd write about love if you were 16 and not in your late 30s as these characters were. It wasn't the love of a lifetime. It didn't have that deepness and richness you'd expect from people that really love and support each other have. It was in fact surprisingly vapid.
Third, whole bits of life are just forgotten about. Heidi has a business called Cake Shop that apparently the indentured servant manages while Heidi is mourning her dead husband in France. Money also doesn't appear to be a problem either as when a robbery takes place and all their belongings are stolen, Heidi goes to the French equivalent of Wal-Mart and replaces pretty much everything. That on top of the money to renovate this healing summer home seems to just flow from unknown sources.
The book picks up significantly once the brood arrives at the French house. Other characters are revealed namely Veronique, who is sort of the Morgan Freeman of French love and romance for this story. Veronique is something of a caretaker for the house and one of Heidi's mom's oldest friends. Certain secrets are revealed, the obligatory panic is interjected ("Oh no, Abbott is missing!") and resolved, new love blossoms and the ending tidies up as expected.
Something about the narration of the book threw me off. It's in first person but probably should have been in third. The pacing didn't match how a person thinks in real time and while some of the musings were thoughtful and worth shoring up in the back of your own mind, there were definite shades of Lifetime movies past, present and future in these thoughts, feelings and observations.
The most interesting character was Charlotte as she showed the most wisdom and insight of the whole bunch. Then again, I always find self-possession and grace in teenagers to be interesting.
I might read another book by this author and while this one is not a beach read per se, it qualifies as a rainy day read.
The plot is known: Heidi Buckley is still mourning the death of her husband who passed away in a car accident the year before. Heidi's 8 year old son Abbott, has become obsessive compulsive as a way to manage his own grief. Heidi's mom is heartbroken that the family summer home in the south of France (isn't that where your summer home is located?) has been damaged due to a fire. The house is the backdrop to centuries of love stories and apparently has the power to heal a broken heart. Heidi's mom dispatches Heidi, Abbott and Charlotte, the sarcastic stepdaughter of Heidi's sister, to go to France to repair the house and take in some of its healing powers to boot.
I struggled in some critical places with this book. One, Heidi was a scatter-brained sap who I didn't feel like was grieving her husband Henry, so much as wishing he were there to do the hard stuff in life for her. He's presented as the one who kept the trains running on time in their lives and not a partner and being of his own. What was missing was sorrow. Heidi presented him as the one who'd find your lost car keys. Two, this windswept love they supposedly shared felt immature and childish. Bridget's writing felt like how you'd write about love if you were 16 and not in your late 30s as these characters were. It wasn't the love of a lifetime. It didn't have that deepness and richness you'd expect from people that really love and support each other have. It was in fact surprisingly vapid.
Third, whole bits of life are just forgotten about. Heidi has a business called Cake Shop that apparently the indentured servant manages while Heidi is mourning her dead husband in France. Money also doesn't appear to be a problem either as when a robbery takes place and all their belongings are stolen, Heidi goes to the French equivalent of Wal-Mart and replaces pretty much everything. That on top of the money to renovate this healing summer home seems to just flow from unknown sources.
The book picks up significantly once the brood arrives at the French house. Other characters are revealed namely Veronique, who is sort of the Morgan Freeman of French love and romance for this story. Veronique is something of a caretaker for the house and one of Heidi's mom's oldest friends. Certain secrets are revealed, the obligatory panic is interjected ("Oh no, Abbott is missing!") and resolved, new love blossoms and the ending tidies up as expected.
Something about the narration of the book threw me off. It's in first person but probably should have been in third. The pacing didn't match how a person thinks in real time and while some of the musings were thoughtful and worth shoring up in the back of your own mind, there were definite shades of Lifetime movies past, present and future in these thoughts, feelings and observations.
The most interesting character was Charlotte as she showed the most wisdom and insight of the whole bunch. Then again, I always find self-possession and grace in teenagers to be interesting.
I might read another book by this author and while this one is not a beach read per se, it qualifies as a rainy day read.
June 13, 2019
Bellino anche se me l'aspettavo un po' diverso, meno corale di quanto si è rivelato. Finale poco sviluppato, a mio parere.
January 24, 2013
Does this book make everyone think of their own heartaches? their own losses in life? While reading this book I allowed myself to wallow in sef-pity for the exquisite and sharp pain of being abandoned and left with two children to raise, alone. To remember the hurt that they felt, that they still feel of being abandoned too. I've had that argument in my own mind, the one with Heidi and Julien (I love that name...a memory from my 19-year old self buying a Julien Clerc record on the Champs Elysees!), arguing over who feels the most misery: someone who loses a spouse to abandonment or to death. In my scenario death is easier. It's final. There are no loose ends in death. There were real people in my argument that I could point to and say, "See, it's easier for them." Now I can see that everyone has heartache, in all its varied forms. It feels right that Julianna chose to let the hungry people in Africa win the argument. Thankfully, the pain is a distant memory, one where the argument doesn't matter anymore. Like the book, our lives can have happy endings too. Someone else with sparkling eyes can make us forget (not forget, but overlook) the sad past and love again.
This book evokes many happy memories for me: visiting small inns like Veronique's in Italy and France. Paris. Thinking partly in French and partly in English. Searching for the right French word and not getting it quite right. The little chapel on the mountain. Renting cars. Driving rented cars on tiny dirt roads in the countryside, sucking in my stomach with my eyes shut as the cars whistle past. The smell of the earth. The mountains of France. The food. Delicious, different food. Pastry shops with divine litte confections.
I love that this book has a happy ending. So many books that I've read in the last few years are tragic with tragic endings. Enough! We need Provence in the spring! With lilacs blooming and their fragrance filling the air. We need provencal chicken dinners with tartes aux citron!
This book evokes many happy memories for me: visiting small inns like Veronique's in Italy and France. Paris. Thinking partly in French and partly in English. Searching for the right French word and not getting it quite right. The little chapel on the mountain. Renting cars. Driving rented cars on tiny dirt roads in the countryside, sucking in my stomach with my eyes shut as the cars whistle past. The smell of the earth. The mountains of France. The food. Delicious, different food. Pastry shops with divine litte confections.
I love that this book has a happy ending. So many books that I've read in the last few years are tragic with tragic endings. Enough! We need Provence in the spring! With lilacs blooming and their fragrance filling the air. We need provencal chicken dinners with tartes aux citron!
April 16, 2011
This is a good ole easy read which is good for a sunny day (or cloudy as we have in the Pacific Northwest) when you need to feel some love!!
This story is about Heidi who has recently lost her husband, Henry, and is now lost in a cloud of sadness and remembrances. Fortunately she has her son Abbott, who I am sure keeps her grounded. Heidi's mother and sister, seeing that she is in the rut that she is in, "force" her to go to the family home in France (you wouldn't even have to think about forcing me - I'm on it right this minute!!).
This house holds some sort of "magic" which opens the heart and frees one's mind. Can this "magic" help heal Heidi? You will have to read the book to see!! The story also involves a handsome Frenchman (ooh la la!!); Charlotte, a 16-year old who is battling her parents; and other various but important characters. It is nice to "fall into" this story and feel the love that comes out of it.
I'm now planning a trip to France.... (in my dreams!!).
This story is about Heidi who has recently lost her husband, Henry, and is now lost in a cloud of sadness and remembrances. Fortunately she has her son Abbott, who I am sure keeps her grounded. Heidi's mother and sister, seeing that she is in the rut that she is in, "force" her to go to the family home in France (you wouldn't even have to think about forcing me - I'm on it right this minute!!).
This house holds some sort of "magic" which opens the heart and frees one's mind. Can this "magic" help heal Heidi? You will have to read the book to see!! The story also involves a handsome Frenchman (ooh la la!!); Charlotte, a 16-year old who is battling her parents; and other various but important characters. It is nice to "fall into" this story and feel the love that comes out of it.
I'm now planning a trip to France.... (in my dreams!!).
April 7, 2011
I loved this novel. It's aimed at the heart, big-time. I teared up so many times reading it. I adored being back in France; Asher evokes that setting wonderfully, the food, the light, the French. She is especially spot-on in bringing to life the sweet and sad complexities of family life. Three thumbs up.
February 5, 2017
#desafiodeleitura2017
Categoria: Livro de um autor que nunca tenhas lido
Ebook #1
Categoria: Livro de um autor que nunca tenhas lido
Ebook #1
April 28, 2020
I should state that I read the abbreviated version of this in Reader's Digest so I may have missed some of Heidi's grieving which I can understand some readers have found tedious. However I can recommend the Reader's Digest version which features Provence, love and complex family situations. For me it was the fanciful tales surrounding the house which made the story.
May 1, 2019
A thoughtful story that puts you inside the head of a grieving widow as she tries to move on with life. A clean romance story, with well written descriptions and characters.
June 21, 2020
Sweet. Highlights the importance and strength of family
January 20, 2021
Um livro dividido em duas partes, uma sobre superação à morte e outra sobre mecanismos de recuperação à tristeza.
Para quem gosta de livros com receitas aconselho este 😉
Para quem gosta de livros com receitas aconselho este 😉
March 28, 2024
This is a lovely book <3
July 23, 2024
3,5⭐️
Odpočinková knížka u které jsem mohla vypnout
Odpočinková knížka u které jsem mohla vypnout
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