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The Chapel in the Woods
When Diana Lescure moves with her young family to the tiny village of Saint Gabriel in the depths of France, it is clear that not all is well amongst its inhabitants. As she settles into her country idyll she uncovers a menace that has shrouded the villagers for generations. Through a 12th century monk and a British agent in WW2 the story of a secret society unfolds.
366 pages, ebook
First published March 10, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 29, 2012
I don't normally read historical novels and although it is a historical novel, it's also set in present-day France too.I liked the flashbacks to Helene, the war and the Resistance and further back to Clothilde and the monk. I used to live in France and can totally relate to the French 'machism', also the way villagers treat an outsider (although I won them over in the end). To find out if the same happens to Diana, you're going to have to read the book!
It was easy to imagine the contemporary locations; Diana's home in the country, the fields where she went riding, the school, the school bus picking up her son, the epicerie where she sold her wares. It was equally easy to visualise the characters, Diana herself initially annoyed me a little by taking on such a subservient role to her husband, such as is expected in France, but it was clear that she wasn't happy with that role.
Michaud struck a definite positive chord with me and I hated the mayor and Liselle with a vengeance and also Diana's husband. The chatelain and chateau scenes were also very well depicted.
This novel is full of strong heroines and heroes. Strength of character is a theme running throughout.
Helene, another strong character, I thought was maybe a little too trusting, but she fell in love. She's fallible and it makes you realise that these brave people who were fighting for France, were at the end of the day just ordinary souls. I was also shocked by her actions, but again this showed her tremendous courage.
Clothilde and the lengths she went to to help the monk, and vice versa, would restore anyone's faith in human nature and make you realise how easy we have it now!
I had guessed at Clothilde's outcome, but only because of Ms Louineau's subtle earlier clue.
There are many obstacles to be overcome, both in the two historical time periods and in the current day and the strands of these three epochs are cleverly woven together. I only caught on to some of them very close to the end and others totally shocked me.
To sum up this is a novel of suspense, intrigue, secret societies, love, belief, courage, fighting for what's right, betrayal, friendship, adapting to circumstances and finally not taking things at face value. And quite frankly I have probably missed a few things out. There is so much going on.
I was glad I spent 3 weeks reading this in the end, as it meant I could really savour it.
I dare you not to enjoy this book! Hope to see another book from Ms Louineau soon....
It was easy to imagine the contemporary locations; Diana's home in the country, the fields where she went riding, the school, the school bus picking up her son, the epicerie where she sold her wares. It was equally easy to visualise the characters, Diana herself initially annoyed me a little by taking on such a subservient role to her husband, such as is expected in France, but it was clear that she wasn't happy with that role.
Michaud struck a definite positive chord with me and I hated the mayor and Liselle with a vengeance and also Diana's husband. The chatelain and chateau scenes were also very well depicted.
This novel is full of strong heroines and heroes. Strength of character is a theme running throughout.
Helene, another strong character, I thought was maybe a little too trusting, but she fell in love. She's fallible and it makes you realise that these brave people who were fighting for France, were at the end of the day just ordinary souls. I was also shocked by her actions, but again this showed her tremendous courage.
Clothilde and the lengths she went to to help the monk, and vice versa, would restore anyone's faith in human nature and make you realise how easy we have it now!
I had guessed at Clothilde's outcome, but only because of Ms Louineau's subtle earlier clue.
There are many obstacles to be overcome, both in the two historical time periods and in the current day and the strands of these three epochs are cleverly woven together. I only caught on to some of them very close to the end and others totally shocked me.
To sum up this is a novel of suspense, intrigue, secret societies, love, belief, courage, fighting for what's right, betrayal, friendship, adapting to circumstances and finally not taking things at face value. And quite frankly I have probably missed a few things out. There is so much going on.
I was glad I spent 3 weeks reading this in the end, as it meant I could really savour it.
I dare you not to enjoy this book! Hope to see another book from Ms Louineau soon....
May 16, 2013
This is an intriguing read from the beginning. The first three chapters each introduce a different character as they arrive in a small village in the Loire Valley. All three are English, but that is where the similarity ends. One is a monk in the Middle Ages travelling under a shadow. One is an SOE (Special Operations Executive) dropped in by parachute during WWII to aid the local resistance and one is a young mother, married to a Frenchman and setting up a new life in the country. These three different stories made for quite a slow start to the book, but I was fascinated trying to work out how the book was going to come together and how the stories would be woven together. As each of the characters adjusts to their new lives their stories begin to unfurl and as the book progresses we see the links between the past and the present coming together. The more I read the more it gripped me and the more I had to read it.
There is a good mix of nice and nasty characters, a great respect for the changing of the seasons and some delicious food descriptions too. Even Johnny Hallyday makes a guest appearance. Susan must have spent time living in a rural French village especially with the way she wove realistic French village political problems into the story in all three of the time periods. Susan easily kept my attention from the beginning to the end of the book.
There is a good mix of nice and nasty characters, a great respect for the changing of the seasons and some delicious food descriptions too. Even Johnny Hallyday makes a guest appearance. Susan must have spent time living in a rural French village especially with the way she wove realistic French village political problems into the story in all three of the time periods. Susan easily kept my attention from the beginning to the end of the book.
March 31, 2013
Three very different characters arrive in the same tiny French village during three different periods in time. The present-day story involves Diana, originally from England, who has moved from Paris with her French husband and young son in the hope of making a fresh start. World War Two is the backdrop for the story of Helene, an English Resistance worker, operating under the guise of village nurse. The third strand is set during the Middle Ages and focuses on a monk, Edward, who is hiding in the woods on the outskirts of the village after being forced to flee from England.
Each strand has a voice of its own with which to draw the reader in. There is a simplicity to Edward and his innocent relationship with the young girl who is protecting him. I find his story the most difficult to relate to, but he is a sympathetic and interesting character none the less. His knowledge of the healing power of natural flowers and herbs is integral to the plot and provides a rather satisfying link with Helene’s role as a nurse. Helene is in as much danger as Edward; both must remain under cover. Her story is more active, full of the drama of espionage, but undercut with a poignant love story and the realistic hardships of Occupied France. Diana’s story provides the main thread, and is more in the vein of a contemporary romance, with her struggle to keep her marriage together and her attempts to fit in with the local community. Hers is the situation that I think modern readers will relate to most easily. In addition, in her story the descriptions of the area are particularly beautiful, and the amazing food she produces is described in mouth-watering detail.
The supporting characters in each of the three strands are strong, often providing nuanced representations of the supportive villager and the prejudiced, narrow-minded one.
At first I found myself wondering how the author was going to successfully bring the three stories together. From the outset I enjoyed each individual story, but in the early chapters I was struggling to make the links beyond the very basic ones of place and theme. And this worried me a bit. However, once the author began to make the more interesting plot links between the stories, I relaxed. As these links became stronger, more complex and clever my enjoyment grew. I wish I’d had more faith from the outset in the author’s ability to tell a well-crafted story. Her research must have been extensive.
I’m really pleased I read this story. There’s so much that I want to talk about with other people who have read it, and I can’t include some of my favourite bits of the book in this review because it would involve spoilers. I am therefore positive that this would be an ideal choice for a book club.
Each strand has a voice of its own with which to draw the reader in. There is a simplicity to Edward and his innocent relationship with the young girl who is protecting him. I find his story the most difficult to relate to, but he is a sympathetic and interesting character none the less. His knowledge of the healing power of natural flowers and herbs is integral to the plot and provides a rather satisfying link with Helene’s role as a nurse. Helene is in as much danger as Edward; both must remain under cover. Her story is more active, full of the drama of espionage, but undercut with a poignant love story and the realistic hardships of Occupied France. Diana’s story provides the main thread, and is more in the vein of a contemporary romance, with her struggle to keep her marriage together and her attempts to fit in with the local community. Hers is the situation that I think modern readers will relate to most easily. In addition, in her story the descriptions of the area are particularly beautiful, and the amazing food she produces is described in mouth-watering detail.
The supporting characters in each of the three strands are strong, often providing nuanced representations of the supportive villager and the prejudiced, narrow-minded one.
At first I found myself wondering how the author was going to successfully bring the three stories together. From the outset I enjoyed each individual story, but in the early chapters I was struggling to make the links beyond the very basic ones of place and theme. And this worried me a bit. However, once the author began to make the more interesting plot links between the stories, I relaxed. As these links became stronger, more complex and clever my enjoyment grew. I wish I’d had more faith from the outset in the author’s ability to tell a well-crafted story. Her research must have been extensive.
I’m really pleased I read this story. There’s so much that I want to talk about with other people who have read it, and I can’t include some of my favourite bits of the book in this review because it would involve spoilers. I am therefore positive that this would be an ideal choice for a book club.
January 8, 2013
In some ways a great novel resembles a love affair. While it is going on you can think of nothing else and when it is over you feel bereft. The Chapel in the Woods is one such novel.
It begins with a car accident. Diane Lescure crashes her car on the very first day she arrives in the village of Saint Gabriel in rural France.
Diane’s story is the main thread of the novel. She is English but married to a Frenchman, Serge, and with a young son, Ben. Her attempts to adapt to the extremely conservative life of rural France, and to be a perfect wife to her chauvinist husband seemed doomed to failure from the start. As she struggles to achieve the impossible, we are also given glimpses of other times.
The Canterbury monk, Edward, fleeing from retribution for his betrayal of the archbishop, arrived in the village in the late 12th century and was abandoned in the woods.
Hélène Godard, English but a fluent French speaker is parachuted into the village during the Second World War as an organiser for the Résistance.
These tales in the background threading in and out of the main narrative add depth and imagery to the story, each emphasising the narrow-minded attitudes of the villagers and the corruption of the local government. It seems that little has changed in the centuries between the events.
I loved each one.
It is rare to come across such accomplished writing. The skill with which Ms Louineau handles the three time frames is masterly. It appears effortless to the reader, as all great skill does.
I could not fault this novel. It is perfect in plot, pacing, characterisation and language. An absolute delight to read, and one of the very best books I have read in my life (and I have read thousands).
It is hard to believe that it is a first novel but I can find no record of her publishing any other work. I sincerely hope she intends to do so. I, for one, am hooked.
It begins with a car accident. Diane Lescure crashes her car on the very first day she arrives in the village of Saint Gabriel in rural France.
Diane’s story is the main thread of the novel. She is English but married to a Frenchman, Serge, and with a young son, Ben. Her attempts to adapt to the extremely conservative life of rural France, and to be a perfect wife to her chauvinist husband seemed doomed to failure from the start. As she struggles to achieve the impossible, we are also given glimpses of other times.
The Canterbury monk, Edward, fleeing from retribution for his betrayal of the archbishop, arrived in the village in the late 12th century and was abandoned in the woods.
Hélène Godard, English but a fluent French speaker is parachuted into the village during the Second World War as an organiser for the Résistance.
These tales in the background threading in and out of the main narrative add depth and imagery to the story, each emphasising the narrow-minded attitudes of the villagers and the corruption of the local government. It seems that little has changed in the centuries between the events.
I loved each one.
It is rare to come across such accomplished writing. The skill with which Ms Louineau handles the three time frames is masterly. It appears effortless to the reader, as all great skill does.
I could not fault this novel. It is perfect in plot, pacing, characterisation and language. An absolute delight to read, and one of the very best books I have read in my life (and I have read thousands).
It is hard to believe that it is a first novel but I can find no record of her publishing any other work. I sincerely hope she intends to do so. I, for one, am hooked.
October 22, 2012
The Chapel in the Woods by Susan Louineau is an incredible debut novel from a burgeoning talent. The author has managed to successfully bind together three stories from different periods in time in France . Some readers might struggle to pick up and follow each separate story early on in the book, but stick with it as the story telling and the characterisations are worth it. Carefully and lovingly crafted this author shows her knowledge of rural French life and writes as well as anything Johanna Harris has so far published. Yet she has done so using her own unique writing style.
As the three stories develop you find yourself caring deeply for each central character which by my reckoning is often the true test of a really good book and I was genuinely sorry I finished the book.
I highly commend and recommend this book and look forward to reading future works from an emerging talent.
As the three stories develop you find yourself caring deeply for each central character which by my reckoning is often the true test of a really good book and I was genuinely sorry I finished the book.
I highly commend and recommend this book and look forward to reading future works from an emerging talent.
October 16, 2012
From my Amazon review:
When I read the previews for the book, I thought that this had the potential to be a fascinating read.
I was not disappointed.
I've always wanted to visit and explore Europe, although admittedly France was not at the top of the list. My Scottish lineage has always made The Old Country the top choice but France comes a close second. The Chapel In The Woods gave me a nearly free trip to France.
The author beautifully weaves a colorful tapestry of rural France. More so, she eases us into three different time periods and manages to give flavor and substance to each. There are essentially three stories taking place in Chapel and throughout much of the book, I wondered how Susan was going to tie them all together. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that she accomplishes the task with a mastery rarely seen.
I appreciate the story and I appreciate the chance to take a trip to France. I look forward to reading more from this skilled author.
When I read the previews for the book, I thought that this had the potential to be a fascinating read.
I was not disappointed.
I've always wanted to visit and explore Europe, although admittedly France was not at the top of the list. My Scottish lineage has always made The Old Country the top choice but France comes a close second. The Chapel In The Woods gave me a nearly free trip to France.
The author beautifully weaves a colorful tapestry of rural France. More so, she eases us into three different time periods and manages to give flavor and substance to each. There are essentially three stories taking place in Chapel and throughout much of the book, I wondered how Susan was going to tie them all together. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that she accomplishes the task with a mastery rarely seen.
I appreciate the story and I appreciate the chance to take a trip to France. I look forward to reading more from this skilled author.
December 10, 2012
I enjoyed this book. The three storylines kept things interesting and showed a willingness by the author to try and create something special. Covering three different time periods in the same book shows some skill, and I think for a first novel this was pretty ambitious.
The stories are woven together by their rural French location, and each is told in a pleasing style; clever but also subtle. I enjoyed Diana's story the most, with her emotional toing and froing over her family's new life in a French village. With her story being the most modern it is here where the reader gets to do the most guessing as to how all three stories are entwined in the end.
I am looking forward to this writer's next book, as The Chapel in the Woods shows an author with bags of potential.
The stories are woven together by their rural French location, and each is told in a pleasing style; clever but also subtle. I enjoyed Diana's story the most, with her emotional toing and froing over her family's new life in a French village. With her story being the most modern it is here where the reader gets to do the most guessing as to how all three stories are entwined in the end.
I am looking forward to this writer's next book, as The Chapel in the Woods shows an author with bags of potential.
October 1, 2012
I've never read anything like it!
I was attracted to this book because the author is an English woman who has lived in France: I having lived in Brittany myself at one time. The feeling of rural France is captured beautifully in the book. Also brilliantly portrayed is the way an incomer can be welcomed into a village community and yet made to feel an outsider as well. But the most intriguing and unusual factor is the weaving together of the stories from three different time periods. The reader is left guessing throughout the book, till almost the end, how the different threads will be pulled together. Add to this very fluent and skillful writing and you have a tale (or rather three) that will stay with you long after you have read the last page.
I was attracted to this book because the author is an English woman who has lived in France: I having lived in Brittany myself at one time. The feeling of rural France is captured beautifully in the book. Also brilliantly portrayed is the way an incomer can be welcomed into a village community and yet made to feel an outsider as well. But the most intriguing and unusual factor is the weaving together of the stories from three different time periods. The reader is left guessing throughout the book, till almost the end, how the different threads will be pulled together. Add to this very fluent and skillful writing and you have a tale (or rather three) that will stay with you long after you have read the last page.
November 23, 2012
The Chapel in the Woods is an intriguing and gripping novel which shows that human nature stays the same as the centuries pass. The three strings of the book are set in different periods of history in the same village, but each shows how a stranger from overseas overcomes the enormous challenge of penetrating the social cocoon of a tight village. Written with rare subtlety (Diana watched his words float up round his head twisting and turning in wisps like cigarette smoke), Susan Louineau creates real and believable characters whose emotions are shared by the reader. A comfortable five stars, which I would recommend to people of all ages.
August 17, 2012
Good Kindle read - 3 stories woven into the fabric of an ancient French village. The three main characters have come from England; Diana from Paris with her family, Helene airlifted into France in WWII and Edward a monk from Canterbury in the 12 Century.
You will want to find out how these leave their mark and how their stories come together towards the end of the book.
A really good first novel from someone with knowledge of France and a love of the French countryside. A quirky and entertaining story.
You will want to find out how these leave their mark and how their stories come together towards the end of the book.
A really good first novel from someone with knowledge of France and a love of the French countryside. A quirky and entertaining story.
April 6, 2013
The Chapel in the Woods by Susan Louineau is elegantly written telling the stories of three separate characters, all connected by history. Each character is engaging and believable and the author tells their stories truthfully without sentimentality. The connections are drawn together gradually, inexorably, so that the reader is unable to leave the Chapel until all has been revealed!
August 31, 2013
Really enjoyed this book for many reasons. Firstly it evokes perfectly the French countryide and its rural inhabitants. More than that though, Susan Louineau cleverly weaves three intricate stories and I liked the way they all came together in the end. I did relate more to the modern story of Diana though.
December 10, 2013
Really enjoyed this book. The expectation of the three story lines coming together in the end kept me reading and even though I guessed a couple of things there were other things that surprised me. I think on the whole what impressed me most was the depth of the research. I came away knowing a lot more about life in France (contemporary as well as historically) than I did before.
September 7, 2012
Excellent!
August 19, 2018
A novel about a place. Three stories, separated by time but linked by location.
September 17, 2013
This is a cleverly-written book, intertwining three very different tales.
First, we meet Diana and her family as they make the move from Paris to the heart of rural France. This very contemporary tale could easily stand alone, but the weaving-in of the other two stories – that of a female British agent working in Diana’s village in WW2 and that of a 12th-century monk who travels to the area – definitely adds extra layers of interest that really draw you in.
The book does get off to a bit of a slow start as the three stories all need building up, but the way they all come together at the end is deftly handled and makes for a very satisfying read.
The main characters are all well-developed and the overlapping stories let the author touch on a whole range of themes, from love, friendship, betrayal, courage, belief, with a good dose of suspense and intrigue.
As I live in a small French village myself, I often found myself smiling at Diana’s experiences with her new neighbours – there were definitely some familiar-sounding moments! And an extra source of personal enjoyment was learning that she’d studied at Jussieu and frequented the same pub as me when I was a student there!
A thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from Susan Louineau.
First, we meet Diana and her family as they make the move from Paris to the heart of rural France. This very contemporary tale could easily stand alone, but the weaving-in of the other two stories – that of a female British agent working in Diana’s village in WW2 and that of a 12th-century monk who travels to the area – definitely adds extra layers of interest that really draw you in.
The book does get off to a bit of a slow start as the three stories all need building up, but the way they all come together at the end is deftly handled and makes for a very satisfying read.
The main characters are all well-developed and the overlapping stories let the author touch on a whole range of themes, from love, friendship, betrayal, courage, belief, with a good dose of suspense and intrigue.
As I live in a small French village myself, I often found myself smiling at Diana’s experiences with her new neighbours – there were definitely some familiar-sounding moments! And an extra source of personal enjoyment was learning that she’d studied at Jussieu and frequented the same pub as me when I was a student there!
A thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from Susan Louineau.
May 9, 2014
This was an interesting story, I quite enjoyed it and the mystery of where it was going. It was like reading three different stories in three different time zones which you know are connected you're just not sure how. It kept my interest, kept me wondering how and why all three were happening and where it was going. I have to admit there were times that I wanted to tell Diana to act on what she felt and what she knew, now.
I really liked how the author tied the story together. It is well written, easy to imagine each of the settings - the monk in the cave, Diana in the country (loved her old house and yard) and Helene and her life as a nurse going from home to home (she also had another role but I can't tell you about it without ruining the story). The characters were well thought out - Serge you are one big jerk, Ben on the other hand, cute as can be. It is an intriguing story. I definitely recommend it.
I really liked how the author tied the story together. It is well written, easy to imagine each of the settings - the monk in the cave, Diana in the country (loved her old house and yard) and Helene and her life as a nurse going from home to home (she also had another role but I can't tell you about it without ruining the story). The characters were well thought out - Serge you are one big jerk, Ben on the other hand, cute as can be. It is an intriguing story. I definitely recommend it.
November 22, 2012
This book starts with an interesting premise - three parallel stories, the first set in the Middle Ages, the second during WWII, and the third in the present time. Each has it's own intrigues. The reader knows that at some point the stories will converge. But, the tale is too long in reaching this convergence (the present time story, in particular, drags) and the resolution is too facile. Everything falls into place too neatly. The story is well written, but has some strange sentence structures and lacks a sense of tension or urgency.
March 24, 2013
This book has 3 distinct parts; a tale from the middle ages, a tale from the war years and a tale set in the modern day. The whole book is set in a village in France and the chapters go back and forth between all 3 parts, building up the stories. They are all linked with the mysterious Chapel. For me, I wanted more to the ending with lots more details from each of the parts when they all finally melted together. Just a few more details about what happened to Edward and Ellen would have been the icing on the cake.
August 30, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It has charm and an easy style. The plot is well structured and the characters believable. I loved the insight into French life in a small village (I live in France myself). Susan Louineau knows how to write about relationships without stating the obvious - I like to empathise and deduce and she allows her reader the space to do this. I would definitely buy another book by this author.
December 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It has charm and an easy style. The plot is well structured and the characters believable. I loved the insight into French life in a small village (I live in France myself). Susan Louineau knows how to write about relationships without stating the obvious - I like to empathise and deduce and she allows her reader the space to do this. I would definitely buy another book by this author.
April 3, 2013
Good development of characters and involvement. Confusing however as three stories set in different times seemed to correlate only in location until the end of the book when all are wrapped together. Though the ending brought sense to it all, and this was well done, the confusing lack of tie in diminished the enjoyment.
April 16, 2014
Wonderful novel that mixes bits of history with fiction to form a great story! Do not be afraid of the 3 characters/stories that alternate, as the author does a perfectly magnificent job in blending. Ending is awesome and tied up with no strings hanging. Treat yourself to a well researched, well written novel...read it!
July 9, 2012
A really good trio of characters and three good stories to go with them. They came together well, and rounded off the ending. Some bits came as a surprise to me, but the way in which the linkages evolved throughout the second part of the book was well done. Look forward to the next one!
June 16, 2012
I enjoyed this. Three separate stories, each interesting in its own right, gradually weave together to reach a single ending.
September 15, 2012
great stories - but seemed to rush away at the end when everything became clear too quickly. would recommend
April 12, 2013
Fully enjoyable and a breath of fresh air after reading some heavy epic fantasy novels. I found the book well paced and well written. Most enjoyed the "Diana" sections.
Really recommend to anyone!
Really recommend to anyone!
October 23, 2012
A very enjoyable read. I loved how all three stories tied up so neatly at the end.
April 14, 2017
A good read, kept me guessing all the way though.
Enjoyed the plot and the way it came together at the end. Recommended if like me you usually read modern chick flicks and need a change !
Enjoyed the plot and the way it came together at the end. Recommended if like me you usually read modern chick flicks and need a change !
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews