Vintner's Daughter: A Novel

The Vintner's Daughter #1

by Kristen Harnisch

Loire Valley, 1895. When seventeen-year-old Sara Thibault's father is killed in a mudslide, her mother sells their vineyard to a rival family whose eldest son marries Sara's sister, Lydia. But a violent tragedy compels Sara and her sister to flee to New York, forcing Sara to put aside her dream to follow in her father's footsteps as a master winemaker. Meanwhile, Philippe Lemieux has arrived in California with the ambition of owning the largest vineyard in Napa by 1900. When he receives word of his brother's death in France, he resolves to bring the killer to justice. Sara has travelled to California in hopes of making her own way in the winemaking world. When she encounters Philippe in a Napa vineyard, they are instantly drawn to one another, but Sara knows he is the one man who could return her family's vineyard to her, or send her straight to the guillotine. This riveting tale of betrayal, retribution, love, and redemption, Kristen Harnisch s debut novel immerses readers in the rich vineyard culture of both the Old and New Worlds, the burgeoning cities of late nineteenth-century America and a spirited heroine s fight to determine her destiny."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction, Romance, Wine, France, Historical

355 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2014

About the author

Kristen Harnisch is the author of the award-winning, internationally bestselling novels The Vintner's Daughter, The California Wife and The Vintner's Legacy. She drew upon her extensive research and experiences living in the San Francisco Bay Area and visiting the Napa and Loire Valleys to create the stories for the three historical novels in this series about a Franco-American winemaking family at the turn of the twentieth century. Ms. Harnisch earned a degree in economics from Villanova University, is a mother of three, and currently resides in Massachusetts. Visit her online at www.kristenharnisch.com.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, particularly the life of family winemakers in France, and in Napa. This was interesting to hear of how Vinters run a farm, and the whole processes of crops, and all the elements that co-inside with the techniqualites and minute details.

I did however found the book as a whole a little too predictable at time, but found the character development done well and appealing

Perhaps in all I just found it a bit too heavy sided on the romance part of the story as it progressed. I am not sure that I will continue on to the second book.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. So much potential and a great premise but over the top, superficial, and every trigger thrown in resulted in a very meh and superficial story.

[Rebecca Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

CALLING ALL LOVERS OF WINE! If you love wine (of course you wouldn't read this book if you didn't) and especially love learning about making wine: how the grapes are grown, when the vines are pruned, harvesting the grapes at the exact right time to capture nature's essence, blending wines to maximize flavor... okay, I admit. I'm a total wine geek. That's besides the fact that Kristen Harnisch captured the magic of wine making in such an eloquent way, you don't even realize you are learning so much! Besides that, she weaves in troubling issues of domestic violence, parental favoritism, midwifery, the Chinese labor force, and the beauty and bounty of the Loire Valley and Napa Valley. The only thing that could have improved her story, is if she used Sonoma Valley, because as everyone knows, Sonoma makes better wine.... just sayin.

Thank you, Kirsten, for this well-researched, well-crafted story of our American heritage of wine making. Yes, I am from Sonoma. :-) and yes, my next novel is Champagne Widows! Stay tuned.

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

1895: Sara und Lydia wachsen unbeschwert auf ihrem Weingut in Frankreich auf. Sara interessiert sich sehr für den Weinanbau und wird von ihrem Vater dabei unterstützt. Als Saras und Lydias Vater stirbt, ändert sich das Leben der beiden jungen Mädchen. Lydia heiratet Bastien, den Sohn eines Weinhändlers; das Weingut selbst wird verkauft. Doch Bastien ist ein gewalttätiger, grober Mann, unter dem Lydia sehr zu leiden hat. Sara möchte ihrer Schwester helfen und wird bei dem Versuch, mit ihr zu fliehen, beinahe von Bastien vergewaltigt. Sie kann sich wehren, doch Bastien wird dabei tödlich verletzt. Nun müssen die beiden jungen Frauen auf jeden Fall fliehen, denn sie werden des Mordes beschuldigt…

Mein Leseeindruck:

Es hat mir großen Spaß gemacht, dieses Buch zu lesen. Spannung, Drama und Romantik vor einem historischen Hintergrund, das ist für mich eigentlich die perfekte Mischung! Ich habe Sara und ihre Schwester Lydia sehr gerne begleitet und habe mit ihnen mitfühlen können.

Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm. Das Buch hat sich leicht und flüssig lesen lassen, zudem war es auf keiner Seite langweilig.

Es gibt noch einen zweiten Band, auf den ich mich sehr freue, aber man kann diesen ersten Teil auch als abgeschlossene Geschichte lesen.

Von mir gibt es für dieses Buch auf jeden Fall eine klare Leseempfehlung!

[Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, someone on the cover of this book compared it to "Gone With The Wind" and described it as a "pleasure". Were we reading the same book?? This is nowhere near GTTW. Just another silly story of girl loves boy, troubles separate them, reunite them & they live happily ever after. I found the characters shallow, one dimensional and just too perfect to be believed.

[Jenny Q]

Double Giveaway! Enter to win The Vinter's Daughter & The California Wife @ Let Them Read Books!

[Eileen Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another new author for me. I enjoyed the story based in the 1800's between France and America. I would read another book by this author.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vintner's Daughter is a Historical Fiction novel that starts out in France, the Loire Valley, and the main character, Sara Thibault, who still lives at home with her family and spending her days helping her sister prepare for her wedding and working in the family vineyard. Her passion is assisting her father tending the grapes in their winery. She is very proficient and loves what she does. Her sister marries into the Lemieux but not is all it is supposed to be. Lydia's becomes a punching bag for her husband and a terrible tragedy happens that causes Lydia and Sara to flee to America.

They arrive and end up in a convent in New York awaiting the birth of Lydia's baby. Another tragedy occurs that forces Sara to flee to Napa Valley where her plans are to purchase some land and start a winery of her own. Unbeknownst to her, she ends up on the vineyard of Phillipe Lemieux, Lydia's brother in law. The story continues from there with an instant attraction to Phillipe. Should she stay? If she does her whole world could fall apart. This is a story of betrayal, ambition and love that will definitely have you rooting for Sara as she comes to terms with her life.

I found this novel to be very readable, enough suspense and romance to keep me turning the pages. A plot that is believable and the subject matter very well researched by the author. I read it in a few sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out with promise. I like wine. I like historical novels. Too bad it deteriorated into pure harlequin romance schmaltz. So predictable. Girl meets boy girl falls in love with boy. But - there are insurmountable obstacles. Will they be overcome? Let me guess. - of course

[Astrid Arditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of love and heartbreak, unfathomable loss and blazing hope. I especially loved Sara's character, her mix of naïveté and sheer stubbornness, her passion and devotion. And of course, Philippe is pretty dreamy... Can't wait to read the sequel!

[Marie-Hélène · Rating 3 out of 5]

Souvenirs, souvenirs ! Ce titre (et sa belle couverture) avait à mes yeux, un côté très nostalgique. Il me rappelait les jolis livres qu'adorait ma mère (voir même ma grand-mère) hier donc ! Il me remémorait les auteurs (que les moins de 50 ans ne peuvent pas connaître) nous rattachant à nos racines provinciales : les Claude Michelet, Gilles Bordes, Claude Signol... Certains avaient une très belle plume, en plus de nous conter de jolies histoires (mais elles me sembleraient peut-être très vieillottes maintenant !)
Cette "fille du maître de chai" avait, elle aussi, ce goût du terroir, du travail, de savoir-faire, du courage... Sauf que même si on se laisse embarquer dans cette gentille histoire de jeune vigneronne, ça manque de saveur, de tanin, tout est prévisible. D'ailleurs, cela m'étonne que la jeune Sarah maîtrise aussi bien la viticulture à 17 ans. C'est pourtant un apprentissage de longue haleine, de bonification comme le vin. Elle est douée mais quand même ! Et pourquoi l'auteur (ou le traducteur) utilise t-il ce terme "vinerie"? ça m'interpelle !
Enfin tout ceci ne m'a pas empêchée de passer un moment agréable. Pas de risque de déprime avec cette romance. Si cela avait été le cas, j'aurai pu aller noyer ma déception avec un verre de Vouvray bien frais. Il va falloir que je trouve une autre raison pour déboucher un bon vin !!!

[Veronika E. Schweiger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich dachte wirklich ich kann der Reihe eine Chance geben.
Zugegeben, ich hab nur zugeschlagen, weil sie bei Amazon empfohlen wurde und für 99Ct am Kindle zu haben war. Kann man ja nichts falsch machen, oder?
Puh, leider habe ich bisher nur ein Drittel des ersten Buches geschafft und ich komm einfach nicht rein.
Die Handlung ist sehr minimal. Es geht eher viel um die Hintergründe und den Weinanbau/Verkauf. Das wäre ja noch okay, wenn es nicht so langatmig geschrieben wäre.
Irgendwann les ich das Buch sicher noch zu Ende. Ist ja gekauft.
Aber ich gebe zu, es ist auch einfach nicht mein Genre. Aber einen Versuch war es wert.

[Franny Krupkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely unbelievable characters, stiff dialogue, corny and not in a cute way. Things got slightly better when they got to America. Made it to two stars because learning about French/American wine industry just before prohibition was interesting.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. I was hoping for a romance. They didn't even meet until more than halfway through the book which is annoying.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not going to change your life, but it was a sweet enough story and a nice change from some heavier HF.
The appearance of a suffragist story element was a nice surprise.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Vintner's Daughter" - written by Kristen Harnisch and published in 2014 by She Writes Press. There were no real surprises in this wine-fueled historical romance. The story begins in 1890s France where a properous winery suffers several calamities, causing vintner Sara and her sister Lydia to flee to America. There it settles into an escalating combination of events where secrets are revealed and relationships developed. It was a well-built story with enough going on to keep my interest throughout and it's the first in a trilogy.

[LaBibliodeCaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si vous aimez les romans mettant en scène des femmes fortes et indépendantes, La fille du maître de chai ne vous décevra pas car Sarah est une héroïne courageuse et déterminée qui n’hésitera pas à s’exiler en Amérique pour échapper à un funeste destin dans son hameau français.

Autre atout de l’histoire, le décor planté dans le monde de la viticulture (très sympathique pour les amateurs de vins !), un univers masculin dans lequel notre héroïne tente de se faire une place malgré les préjugés tenaces, et cela à la fin du 19e siècle avec ses mœurs peu propices à l’épanouissement des femmes. Bref, tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour que notre héroïne connaisse un parcours semé d’embûches.

Après la mort de son beau-frère violent, Sarah est obligée de quitter la France pour conserver sa liberté et son lourd secret. Accompagnée de sa sœur, elle s’exile en Amérique avec l’espoir d’une vie meilleure, mais les malheurs de l’épargnent pas. En dépit de cela, elle continuera de faire preuve d’un tempérament de battante. Rêvant de s’imposer en tant que vigneronne à part entière et non comme simple fille de vigneron, Sarah ne ménage pas ses efforts pour s’émanciper et concrétiser son rêve ultime : posséder un domaine viticole et produire des vins de qualité, même si au départ elle doit en passer par des conditions de vie précaire au milieu de la communauté chinoise en Californie. Malgré les drames personnels (pertes d’êtres chers, pauvreté, agressions), elle prend son destin en main et se crée une nouvelle vie avec son neveu et ses nouvelles amies (Marie et Aurore sont des personnages très attachants).

J’ai beaucoup aimé le style de l’auteur. Ce roman se lit rapidement et propose des personnages bien campés face à des enjeux crédibles, le tout saupoudré de ce qu’il faut de romance. J’ai découvert qu’il existait une suite « The California Wife ». Je pense que je me lancerai plus tard avec plaisir dans cette lecture pour connaître la suite des aventures de Sarah et Philippe.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Romance set in France and California’s wine country

It begins slowly but soon becomes a good story and an interesting mix of genres. It’s marketed as historical fiction but the first half reads like women’s fiction—it’s Sara’s story. The hero and heroine aren’t together in the same place until the last half of the book and that last half is pure historical romance. Running throughout is Sara’s spiritual journey and the inspirational theme of forgiveness.

It begins in the Loire Valley in 1895 when Sara Thibault's father is killed in a mudslide and her mother sells their vineyard to the Lemieuxs, a rival family, crushing Sara’s hopes to one day make the vineyard her own. Worse, her sister, Lydia, marries Bastien Lemieux, the evil eldest son of the buyer’s family. One night, fighting off her brother-in-law’s brutal attempt to rape her, Sara kills Bastien. Afraid of poor justice, Sara escapes to New York with her pregnant sister.

Meanwhile, Bastien’s brother, Philippe, who long ago left France, lives in California where he intends to grow his Eagle Run winery into the largest in the Napa Valley. When he receives word of his brother's death in France, he resolves to bring the killer to justice.

Still on the run, Sara ends up in Napa working in Philippe’s vineyard. When she realizes she is in the vineyard of the brother of the man she has killed, she knows she must seek his forgiveness but she cannot bring herself to tell him who she is. To add to her problems, she is falling in love with him and he with her.

The story is well written, well researched and rich in details of the wine-making business. I learned much. Unlike his brother, Philippe is kind and noble of heart. He is instantly taken with Sara and not only her expertise about growing grapes and making wine. She is clever and witty and handsome. Some wonderful secondary characters add to the tapestry. A recommended read.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vintner's Daughter begins in France just at the end of the 19th century on a vineyard in the Loire Valley in France. Sara Thibault loves following her father around as he cares for the vines and learning all he knows about growing grapes and making wine. Her sister Lydia is only concerned about her upcoming wedding - to a man Sara does not like - and her mother feels that Sara should be more concerned about womanly pursuits. Her father has some concerns about the harvest in this year because he expenses are tight and there is disease in some vines. Crisis strikes and it turns out that only Lydia's marriage can save the family but the vineyard will now belong to her husband's family. Sara is distraught and it only gets worse when her new brother in law turns out to be a violent and abusive man.

Circumstances lead to Sara ending up in America and seeking a new life in the Napa Valley where her love of and knowledge for growing grapes helps her establish herself and she thrives. Until her past comes back to remind her that she left France with secrets that are threatening to ruin all she has come to love.

I enjoyed this novel; in fact I read it in one sitting. It wasn't perfect - some plot points were just too facile and some of the more difficult passages were too lightly treated and easily left to move on to the next plot point. The explanations about growing grapes in the beginning chapters were also a bit dry - that got better later in the book. That being written I found the story to be otherwise well developed and the history included quite interesting. The Suffragettes so all fired to get to vote to bring in prohibition had no clue of what they would bring down, did they?

If you are looking for a fascinating look into the world of wine making with a look back to its start in California with a bit of romance and intrigue then I recommend this book to you.

[L.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** Disclosure: I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author.

Although I’m an avid reader, I must confess that I tend to shy away from literary fiction, preferring genre fiction or romance. That said, if you’re like me and you have to pick just one literary read this year – pick this one! You’ll be glad you did.

This story has a smooth, delicious pull that draws you in from the first page. Sara is a strong and likable character who is ahead of her time. She knows her own mind and hungers to become a vintner in turn-of-the-century France when the highest aspiration expected from a woman was to marry well. But it doesn’t stop there.

The book has interesting and wonderful characters that fill the pages with life from start to finish.
Kristen deftly weaves in historical detail and wine-making in a way that absorbs and teaches without being heavy-handed. The story is tight and doesn’t waste time meandering between plot points like some literary fiction I’ve read, rather it carries you along in a swiftly moving tale.

Just like the cover, the settings are lush and well-drawn, conveying accurate and engaging depictions of the Loire Valley, New York City, and Napa, California, making the historical aspects truly enjoyable.

Bottom line, this is a story of betrayal, retribution, love, and redemption. It will enthrall, entertain, and move you. Enjoy! Chenin Blanc not included…

See full interview with the author on my blog: http://www.lgoconnor.com/site/october...

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comparing this to Gone with the Wind was fairly ambitious, and, frankly, undeserved. I suppose if I squint I can kind of see how they might be similar (Scarlett will do anything to hold onto her plantation Tara and this main character wants to get back her family’s winery) but that’s really where the similarity ends.

I liked the main character Sara well enough, but it seemed like every bad thing imaginable happened to her - beloved father dies, almost raped, killed the attempted rapist, wound up raising her nephew at 18 when her sister dies in childbirth, etc. The book was pretty sad and depressing, though it did end on a more hopeful note.

I really liked the secondary characters, especially Aurora, and the nuns.

Who I did NOT like - was Philippe. I was turned off from him in the first chapter from his point of view when it is revealed he had a woman on the side that he just used for sex, like some kind of 19th century booty call. Are we supposed to be swooning over this guy?? Because no. Also, what point did that serve? The girl was literally only in that one scene, and he was pursuing Sara practically as soon as they met. So why not just have him be single and not having meaningless sex with a random girl “to keep his libido in check so he can focus on wine making.” Ugh. It was hard to like him.


**read for book scavenger hunt - a book set in wine country**

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't count on learning more about this book by reading it. The Vintner's Daughter's book jacket will inform you about the plot, and you can anticipate the predictable, ridiculous ending. Why did I succumb to the book jacket's charms and read the entire book? I think that I like historical fiction. It was somewhat interesting to incorporate information about the wine industry on two continents, the women's suffrage movement, and the impending prohibition. The book jacket mentioned that the book compares with Gone With the Wind. I will agree that they both have strong competitive protagonists. This book, however, can barely compete with the writing style of Gone with the Wind.

Even though I can't believe that Phllippe Lemieux deals with the crisis so easily, I still enjoyed a portion of the book that believes in happy endings and fairytales. If you're up for light reading, go for it.

[Lectrice-lambda · Rating 5 out of 5]

« La fille du maître de chai » va nous plonger dans le quotidien de la famille Thibault.
Sarah a dix-sept ans et elle est la cadette de la famille. Ses parents sont propriétaires d’un vignoble dans le Val de Loire, exploitation qui passionne la jeune fille.
Lorsque le patriarche meurt, la fille aînée de la famille, Lydie, épouse Bastien Lemieux, un fils de négociant de vin. De plus, la mère des deux filles est contrainte de vendre le domaine à Bastien.
Sarah est hors d’elle, elle a tout perdu : son père et ses vignes. Sauf qu’un nouveau malheur va s’abattre sur elles, obligeant les deux soeurs à fuir la France pour les États-Unis.
Sarah qui rêve toujours de travailler dans les vignes, part en direction de la Napa Valley, cette terre riche et nouvellement puissante dans le monde viticole. Là-bas, elle va faire une drôle de rencontre : celle de Philippe Lemieux, qui n’est autre que le frère de Bastien…
Ils vont finir par travailler ensemble, mais les affaires, l’amour et les secrets ne feront peut-être pas bon ménage.

Comment vous dire combien j’ai adoré cette lecture.
Kristen HARNISCH nous immerge dans une saga familiale, féminine et poignante, avec comme décors les exploitations viticoles. Autant dire que c’est tout ce que j’aime.

Le premier chapitre est très mystérieux. Nous découvrons Sarah, à New-York, qui confesse un péché… Sans savoir ce qu’elle a fait ! Puis nous replongeons dans le passé, là où tout à commencé.
Nous avons un aperçu du quotidien de la famille Lemieux avant tous les malheurs qui vont s’abattre sur eux. Leur vie bien ficelée de viticulteurs, leur amour, leur vie simple mais heureuse.
Puis, au fur et à mesure des chapitres, les drames s’enchaînent. Le destin est bien cruel avec cette famille qui est aimante et gentille. Dès lors, nous nous prenons de sympathie pour la jeune Sarah qui voit son univers s’écrouler.

Dès les premières lignes, Kristen HARNISCH arrive à nous plonger dans son univers et à nous rendre addict à son histoire. Elle a une belle plume, simple, mais qui colle parfaitement à ce genre de récit.
Les chapitres sont essentiellement narrés du point de vue de Sarah à la troisième personne. Il y a quelques chapitres du point de vue de Philippe, chapitres qui sont bienvenus, mais qui sont rares. Ils apportent quelques éléments de plus au livre, mais le fait de suivre Sarah dans la grande majorité du récit convient parfaitement et ne nous donne pas le sentiment de rater quelque chose, comme ça peut parfois être le cas lorsque l’on a qu’un seul point de vue.

Sarah est une héroïne que j’ai adorée.
C’est une jeune fille qui adore ses parents, qui adore les vignes, qui est tout simplement heureuse. Elle est jeune, elle n’a rien connu de la vie et pourtant cette dernière va être cruelle avec elle et sa famille. Dès la mort de son père, elle devient la tête pensante puisque sa mère est abasourdie par la perte de son mari et sa soeur est un peu frivole. Seulement, à dix-sept ans, il est difficile de faire entendre sa voix… Ce qui ne va pas aider les filles Lemieux.
Sa combativité est extraordinaire. Pour survivre, elle est prête à tout, même à s’exiler avec sa soeur aux États-Unis. Je me suis prise immédiatement d’affection pour cette fille qui va devenir femme très vite et bien malgré elle.
Philippe n’est pas en reste. C’est un personnage aux multiples facettes, que l’on va apprendre à connaître en même temps que Sarah. Il est victime de ragots, Sarah a une image déjà toute faite de lui. Seulement, les apparences sont parfois trompeuses et on va vite l’apprendre de nous-même.
Il y a beaucoup de personnages secondaires, certains qui vont inspirer de suite notre sympathie comme Marie, Jacques et Aurora ; et d’autres qui vont déchaîner nos sentiments les plus négatifs comme Bastien et son père.

Etant moi-même viticultrice, j’étais autant impatiente qu’inquiète de me plonger dans ce récit où les vignes et le vin ont une place très importante.
En vérité, je suis plus qu’agréablement surprise de trouver autant de détails que cela soit sur les travaux des champs que de la cave. Détails qui sont précis et vrais, ce qui est rare dans les fictions. Pour autant, l’auteur ne nous assomme pas avec une multitude d’informations techniques qui n’intéresseront pas la grande majorité des lecteurs. Ce n’est donc pas incompréhensible ni barbant pour un amateur de lire toute la partie un peu plus technique.
Pour ma part, je suis ravie de trouver un peu de mon quotidien dans cette lecture.

Jusqu’à la fin nous sommes tenus en haleine puisque jusqu’au tout dernier moment les secrets ne sont pas révélés.
Ces derniers rebondissements vont venir donner un nouveau souffle à l’histoire, un dernier moment d’inquiétude pour les personnages et le final de l’histoire.


En conclusion, « La fille du maître de chai » est un beau coup de coeur. Kristen HARNISCH m’a plongée dans son histoire avec une facilité déconcertante. Sarah est une belle héroïne qui a ravi mon coeur dès les premiers instants. Son périple est dur, la vie n’est pas tendre avec elle et ses proches, mais sa ténacité est sans pareille.
L’univers m’a complètement charmée. Je me suis totalement retrouvée dans ce décors où vignes et vins règnent en maîtres.
La romance opère en toile de fond, toute en douceur. Elle n’est pas l’élément principal, mais l’un des nombreux ingrédients de cette belle histoire.
Ce livre est un mélange d’aventure et d’histoires de vie. Il est résolument féminin et incroyablement prenant. Si vous aimez les sagas familiales, les beaux récits de lutte où les femmes prennent leurs destins en main, ce livre est fait pour vous.


En tout cas, je ne manquerai pas de me plonger dans la suite des aventures de ces personnages, dans « Les vignes de Sarah » qui est sorti cette année aux éditions de l’Archipel.



( https://lectrice-lambda.blogspot.com/... )

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a couple of chapters to get into The Vintner's Daughter by Kristen Harnisch. This is a historical that starts off in late 1800's in France.

After the slow start, the story picked up its pace. Sarah was strong from the start and even though she was the younger sister, she was the wiser one. The story takes us through France, New York and California as Sara struggles to make a living.

The story takes some complicated twists and turns and I wanted to know what would become of Sara. I found it interesting reading about how she came to America, changed her name and tried to find work in a place where she was left to fend for herself.

I enjoyed this one overall. The Vintner's Daughter is first in a series and I am interested in seeing where the author takes these characters next.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to read this beautifully written story of an independent girl who wishes to make a name for herself as a wine vintner after her father dies tragically and the family fortune and business is stolen from her..The parts of the wine making business details during the late 19 century I found fascinating and gave me an appreciation of the history of both French wine making and California's historical and celebrated Napa Valley…The author, whose characters are based on her own wine making family, is writing a 3 part series on the story and Im looking forward to reading her next books..I read this for a book group and am looking forward to the conversations around it..I loved the story and the characters..

[Connie Mayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen Harnish's research and affection for turn-of-the-century wine making in France and California floats off the page in this sweeping story about a young woman determined to hold onto her family's winery. Fans of historical fiction featuring strong women will find plenty to like here. There is a definite element of romance in this book, which is not something I seek out but will satisfy many readers. Fun for your summer reading list.

[Blessedmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story with strong characters. The story of strength and love-and the special ability families have to care for one another. A compelling read, it continues to echo in my head days later. I cannot wait to read the next one by this amazing debut author!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal read! I couldn't put it down and Kristen's detailed history was fascinating. I had so much fun AND learned a ton! I cannot wait for the next in her series!!!

[Diane King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the twists and turns are somewhat predictable, the writing and the strength of characters makes it all worthwhile!

[Greg Teal · Rating 2 out of 5]

skip this one.