Maillane: That Morning Sun Comes Rising Up

by Mack Green

Élise Napier of Maillane has learned to avoid the heartbreaks of life by writing stories, controlling what happens within them. Raised by her grandparents after her parent’s tragic deaths in a car crash that left her with a prominent limp, she grew to embrace her life of sanctuary in the Provencal village of Maillane. After the death of her grandfather, Dr. Maurice Napier, Élise and her grandmother, Jolie Napier, form a formidable bond against the intrusions of the world.

But two events disrupt Élise's peaceful existence. Her grandmother secretly enters one of her stories in the prix Goncourt de la nouvelle. A notice comes that her story has reached the finalist category in the esteemed literary contest of France. Angered by her grandmother’s meddling, she seeks revenge by proclaiming that she will never write again. However, her grandmother, the eternal archivist of time and place, proffers her granddaughter a secret story of her past–– a long-ago love affair that involved a troubled American who had witnessed the first atomic blasts. The lover abandoned her grandmother long ago, but had promised to return with her fifty years later to a stone fence on the Luberon massif and reclaim a time capsule which contained a lone notebook. The date of return is approaching.

Meanwhile, a new pharmacist has arrived in town, and Élise faces the challenges of human closeness and love. As she falls into love, she begins to write the story of her grandmother and the man who abandoned her in her youth. The novel is told from rotating points of view, and in different points of time, and illustrates the invisible ties that people have with one another. The collision of past with future thrusts the story into the here and now. In the end, Élise Napier must participate inside the story for it to reach its meaningful conclusion. Through the convergence of writing and living, Élise discovers that happiness is found in the journey of living our written words.The novel broaches the effects of the nuclear age, the regrets we suffer as we age, the complexities of love and meaning in life.

223 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2026

Reviews

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a librarything giveaway. It is a beautifully written tale with a variety of characters with interwoven stories. The characters and landscape came to life.

[Eva Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this ARC book. Such a lovely read. Sophisticated writing that brings you back in time but still anchors you in the present (well the present of 2010). Loved the relationship between Elise and her grandmother and their banter. I loved Sam’s character-so charming, wild, and a free soul.

[Michele Knopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the storyline. We'll written. Would like to read more by Author Mack Green.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchanges for a review. It’s a story of love, loss, and getting the most of life. The storyline was easy to follow and made you wonder how the characters would all affect each other and if they will cross each other’s paths.