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At the Edge of Summer
The acclaimed author of Letters from Skye returns with an extraordinary story of a friendship born of proximity but boundless in the face of separation and war.
Luc Crépet is accustomed to his mother’s bringing wounded creatures to their idyllic château in the French countryside, where healing comes naturally amid the lush wildflowers and crumbling stone walls. Yet his maman’s newest project is the most surprising: a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl grieving over her parents’ fate. A curious child with an artistic soul, Clare Ross finds solace in her connection to Luc, and she in turn inspires him in ways he never thought possible. Then, just as suddenly as Clare arrives, she is gone, whisked away by her grandfather to the farthest reaches of the globe. Devastated by her departure, Luc begins to write letters to Clare—and, even as she moves from Portugal to Africa and beyond, the memory of the summer they shared keeps her grounded.
Years later, in the wake of World War I, Clare, now an artist, returns to France to help create facial prostheses for wounded soldiers. One of the wary veterans who comes to the studio seems familiar, and as his mask takes shape beneath her fingers, she recognizes Luc. But is this soldier, made bitter by battle and betrayal, the same boy who once wrote her wistful letters from Paris? After war and so many years apart, can Clare and Luc recapture how they felt at the edge of that long-ago summer?
Bringing to life two unforgettable characters and the rich historical period they inhabit, Jessica Brockmole shows how love and forgiveness can redeem us.
Luc Crépet is accustomed to his mother’s bringing wounded creatures to their idyllic château in the French countryside, where healing comes naturally amid the lush wildflowers and crumbling stone walls. Yet his maman’s newest project is the most surprising: a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl grieving over her parents’ fate. A curious child with an artistic soul, Clare Ross finds solace in her connection to Luc, and she in turn inspires him in ways he never thought possible. Then, just as suddenly as Clare arrives, she is gone, whisked away by her grandfather to the farthest reaches of the globe. Devastated by her departure, Luc begins to write letters to Clare—and, even as she moves from Portugal to Africa and beyond, the memory of the summer they shared keeps her grounded.
Years later, in the wake of World War I, Clare, now an artist, returns to France to help create facial prostheses for wounded soldiers. One of the wary veterans who comes to the studio seems familiar, and as his mask takes shape beneath her fingers, she recognizes Luc. But is this soldier, made bitter by battle and betrayal, the same boy who once wrote her wistful letters from Paris? After war and so many years apart, can Clare and Luc recapture how they felt at the edge of that long-ago summer?
Bringing to life two unforgettable characters and the rich historical period they inhabit, Jessica Brockmole shows how love and forgiveness can redeem us.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2016
125 people are currently reading
3337 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Brockmole
9 books495 followersI have been enamored with history ever since childhood. Enthusiastically playing The Oregon Trail in the school computer lab, exploring museums and living history sites, devouring Sunfire romances, and watching Back to the Future, I hoped that I too would find a time machine someday. Indeed I have found a way to time travel—by researching the past that fascinates me so much. Writing historical fiction and academic historical nonfiction has brought to life that childhood desire to explore the world, past and present.
Also writes under Jessica A. Brockmole
Also writes under Jessica A. Brockmole
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
May 6, 2016
The first 30% of this novel I would describe with one word, Enchanted. It was almost too sweet, but the location and the characters of Luc and Clare kept me reading. This is when one needs to have faith in an author whose previous book I loved. The whole book is written in a lighter tome but the subject matter goes much deeper. Of course there are this author's trademark letters, letters that let us see into the heart of these two characters. War and all its horrors, broken and wounded men, without hope but after wars end given hope in an unique way. The power of art as a connection and as expression of feelings, also used to heal. This is definitely a sentimental read but I ended up loving this heartfelt story.
ARC from publisher.
ARC from publisher.
May 16, 2016
They were brought together in France in the summer of 1911 and their connection begins with art. It is through the friendship and relationships of their artist parents that Clare ,15 and Luc, 19, develop a relationship starting out as a beautiful friendship, growing into first love. Clare's father has died and her mother had abandoned them long ago . Madame Crepet goes to Scotland and takes Clare with her back to France. It's a tender, sweet love story, but having read the Goodreads description, which gives too much detail about the story, I knew what the war would bring when it reared its ugly head into the story . Still , the beginning was lovely and I fell in love with the characters, with the beautiful French countryside and once again with Jessica Brockmole's lovely writing.
There are alternating narratives - Clare's and Luc's , but as in Letters from Skye, the letters that they exchange when they are separated by war and time , tell so much about the characters, their hopes and dreams and what is happening with them. My favorite parts of the novel were the letters . The author is a master at these epistolaries. I especially enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the places her grandfather takes her when he comes for her Portugal, Spain, places in Africa.
It is through art that they are brought together once again - art not just for the beautiful drawings that Clare creates but art with its healing properties. So maybe it was predictable but I didn't care. It's a wonderful story about art , about the creative process but mainly about friendship, love , hope and about finding one's "something important."
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.
July 13, 2016
*2.5 stars
First, I have to say--I didn't like this as much as I did Jessica's first novel, Letters from Skye. I honestly didn't feel the spark or any chemistry between Luc and Clare. And because of this, at times I felt that the story dragged. The book was set-up into different parts--my favorite was part 2--that's when they were corresponding through letters. Jessica Brockmole has a way of telling a story through letters that I love. The book is slow paced and like I said, dragged at times. I love war stories but I think this book was more of the coming of age of Clare and Luc at this time. One thing that bothered me, Clare and Luc spent a lot of time apart! And I mean a lot. So I think that's why I couldn't really feel the romance side of this novel. I saw friendship more than anything. In that regards, it was sweet and they managed to keep each other going through difficult times. I consider Jessica Brockmole a talented author and will look out for her next novel.
**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First, I have to say--I didn't like this as much as I did Jessica's first novel, Letters from Skye. I honestly didn't feel the spark or any chemistry between Luc and Clare. And because of this, at times I felt that the story dragged. The book was set-up into different parts--my favorite was part 2--that's when they were corresponding through letters. Jessica Brockmole has a way of telling a story through letters that I love. The book is slow paced and like I said, dragged at times. I love war stories but I think this book was more of the coming of age of Clare and Luc at this time. One thing that bothered me, Clare and Luc spent a lot of time apart! And I mean a lot. So I think that's why I couldn't really feel the romance side of this novel. I saw friendship more than anything. In that regards, it was sweet and they managed to keep each other going through difficult times. I consider Jessica Brockmole a talented author and will look out for her next novel.
**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2016
I loved Jessica’s first novel, Letters from Skye. It was a remarkable and refreshing read. Well, Jessica did it again, coming up with another stunning and emotional piece of Historical Fiction. This follow-up effort is proof she is no one-trick pony; her writing is magic, drawing me in from the start, reading cover to cover with few breaks.
When Luc and Clare meet, it is obvious their relationship will progress but this blossoming relationship, the joys and sorrows of the couple and that of their families and the depth of these characters were such powerful draws. Jessica also incorporates some of what I loved in her first book, gorgeously written letters during the time of war. I absolutely loved this one, a few unpredictable actions impacted me and will have me thinking about them for some time.
When Luc and Clare meet, it is obvious their relationship will progress but this blossoming relationship, the joys and sorrows of the couple and that of their families and the depth of these characters were such powerful draws. Jessica also incorporates some of what I loved in her first book, gorgeously written letters during the time of war. I absolutely loved this one, a few unpredictable actions impacted me and will have me thinking about them for some time.
April 19, 2016
I read Jessica Brockmole's contribution to the anthology Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War earlier this year, and her story, "Something Worth Landing For," was one of my favorites. Another story in the collection introduced me to Anna Coleman Ladd and her Paris studio for disfigured soldiers, so when I saw Jessica's new book featured the studio, I wanted to read it even more.
The story begins in 1911 when fifteen-year-old Clare Ross is whisked away to a crumbling French chateau after the death of her father. The Crepets and the Rosses are longtime friends, though as Clare will learn, that relationship has not been without its troubles, and most of them are due to her mother, who abandoned Clare and her father years earlier. Feeling lost and unloved, and assaulted by the colors and lifestyle so different than Scotland, she wonders if she'll ever find a place where she belongs. But things start looking up when the Crepets' son, Luc, comes home from school. The two form a fast friendship and spend a summer exploring the countryside around them, exploring their artistic abilities--since both come from a family of artists, this comes naturally--and exploring the uncharted waters of first love. But their idyllic summer cannot last as outside influences encroach, and eventually Clare's globe-trotting grandfather arrives to take charge of his ward, and she leaves France, and Luc, behind.
For a few years, they keep in touch via letters. They each have vastly different experiences, but the one constant is that they can always turn to each other for comfort and understanding. Clare has a more unconventional upbringing, discovering who she is in one exotic location after another with a maturity and gravity born from her reserved childhood and her fear of becoming like her mother. Luc puts his hopes and dreams on hold as war breaks out and he trades his studies for training, becoming a reluctant soldier forced to cope with the realities of killing and surviving in battle and beyond. When Clare's letters stop coming, Luc realizes that he cannot rely on anyone but himself in the mess of what his life has become. After suffering a devastating facial injury, the Luc that returns to Paris is unrecognizable both physically and in spirit.
Meanwhile, Clare has not been unaffected by the war. While in art school in Glasgow, she sees what's left of the soldiers who return home, and she begins to earn some acclaim with her drawings of these men, trying to impart some sense of what they've been through and what the future still holds for them through her art. When she receives an offer to assist other artists in Paris in designing masks for soldiers with facial deformities, she discovers a whole new level of the power of art to transform, heal, and inspire. Though Luc and Clare have been worlds away and have lost touch with each other, they are never far from each other's thoughts, and whether the events that bring them back together are coincidence or destiny, Clare re-enters his life at the moment he least wants to see her--but also at the moment when he needs her the most.
The writing in this book is simply stunning. I earmarked at least a dozen passages that struck me as being brilliant. The emotions of these characters leap off the page and become one with the reader's. I fell in love with both of them and their summer together. The descriptions are by turns lush and stark, reflecting the subject matter, yet always bringing it to life perfectly. The only reason this book did not end up being a 5-star read for me is that I felt like the story lost some of what made it so amazing on the way to its conclusion. I can't quite put my finger on why the latter portion of the book did not feel as poignant, but it may have something to do with the fact that it doesn't receive as much attention as everything that came before it. There's a bit of an imbalance between how much time is spent on their summer together and the war years and on their reunion. And I think anytime you separate your characters for a span as long as eight years, you have a little bit more work cut out for you in re-establishing the magic of their connection. The ending of this book tries to cram resolving personal issues for both leads with the resolution of their relationship at the same time and in only a handful of pages. The ending is still satisfying, but it could have been so much more. This book is on the shorter side for historical fiction, coming in at under 350 pages, and I think perhaps a bit more exploration of them coming back together as adults may have given the ending more substance and resonance.
But overall, At the Edge of Summer is a gorgeous book, beautifully written, profoundly observant of human nature and our ties to each other, and I highly recommend this for all fans of romantic historical fiction.
The story begins in 1911 when fifteen-year-old Clare Ross is whisked away to a crumbling French chateau after the death of her father. The Crepets and the Rosses are longtime friends, though as Clare will learn, that relationship has not been without its troubles, and most of them are due to her mother, who abandoned Clare and her father years earlier. Feeling lost and unloved, and assaulted by the colors and lifestyle so different than Scotland, she wonders if she'll ever find a place where she belongs. But things start looking up when the Crepets' son, Luc, comes home from school. The two form a fast friendship and spend a summer exploring the countryside around them, exploring their artistic abilities--since both come from a family of artists, this comes naturally--and exploring the uncharted waters of first love. But their idyllic summer cannot last as outside influences encroach, and eventually Clare's globe-trotting grandfather arrives to take charge of his ward, and she leaves France, and Luc, behind.
For a few years, they keep in touch via letters. They each have vastly different experiences, but the one constant is that they can always turn to each other for comfort and understanding. Clare has a more unconventional upbringing, discovering who she is in one exotic location after another with a maturity and gravity born from her reserved childhood and her fear of becoming like her mother. Luc puts his hopes and dreams on hold as war breaks out and he trades his studies for training, becoming a reluctant soldier forced to cope with the realities of killing and surviving in battle and beyond. When Clare's letters stop coming, Luc realizes that he cannot rely on anyone but himself in the mess of what his life has become. After suffering a devastating facial injury, the Luc that returns to Paris is unrecognizable both physically and in spirit.
Meanwhile, Clare has not been unaffected by the war. While in art school in Glasgow, she sees what's left of the soldiers who return home, and she begins to earn some acclaim with her drawings of these men, trying to impart some sense of what they've been through and what the future still holds for them through her art. When she receives an offer to assist other artists in Paris in designing masks for soldiers with facial deformities, she discovers a whole new level of the power of art to transform, heal, and inspire. Though Luc and Clare have been worlds away and have lost touch with each other, they are never far from each other's thoughts, and whether the events that bring them back together are coincidence or destiny, Clare re-enters his life at the moment he least wants to see her--but also at the moment when he needs her the most.
The writing in this book is simply stunning. I earmarked at least a dozen passages that struck me as being brilliant. The emotions of these characters leap off the page and become one with the reader's. I fell in love with both of them and their summer together. The descriptions are by turns lush and stark, reflecting the subject matter, yet always bringing it to life perfectly. The only reason this book did not end up being a 5-star read for me is that I felt like the story lost some of what made it so amazing on the way to its conclusion. I can't quite put my finger on why the latter portion of the book did not feel as poignant, but it may have something to do with the fact that it doesn't receive as much attention as everything that came before it. There's a bit of an imbalance between how much time is spent on their summer together and the war years and on their reunion. And I think anytime you separate your characters for a span as long as eight years, you have a little bit more work cut out for you in re-establishing the magic of their connection. The ending of this book tries to cram resolving personal issues for both leads with the resolution of their relationship at the same time and in only a handful of pages. The ending is still satisfying, but it could have been so much more. This book is on the shorter side for historical fiction, coming in at under 350 pages, and I think perhaps a bit more exploration of them coming back together as adults may have given the ending more substance and resonance.
But overall, At the Edge of Summer is a gorgeous book, beautifully written, profoundly observant of human nature and our ties to each other, and I highly recommend this for all fans of romantic historical fiction.
July 17, 2016
Ah, summer! Sometimes you need the perfect book to come along and take you through the hottest months. "At the Edge of Summer" is a good book for that. Featuring a love story between Luc and Clare set against the devastation of WWI, this was a good book to while away an afternoon. Told partially through letters between the characters, this is a historical fiction love story that had me by the heart.
There is something about epistolary books that I absolutely love. For me, letters are one of the best ways to get your point across truthfully and with the most feeling possible. The letters really allow the readers to get a really good understanding of the characters and what made them tick. I loved the story between Luc and Clare. It's very romantic seeing how they break apart and then are put back together again. I thought the author did a great job of capturing how both of the main characters change and shift throughout the book!
Also, I loved the inclusion of the art of creating prostheses during WWI. I had never really given much thought to what a person suffering some sort of war related disfigurement would do at that time. We get to see the process of making masks to not only hide the disfigurement but to improve the morale of the soldiers. Clare is one of the artists who is able to create these masks. I love when I can learn something from the books that I am reading and this was certainly eye-opening for me!
This is a good read with great writing. I know Luc and Clare will be on my mind long after I finished the last page!
There is something about epistolary books that I absolutely love. For me, letters are one of the best ways to get your point across truthfully and with the most feeling possible. The letters really allow the readers to get a really good understanding of the characters and what made them tick. I loved the story between Luc and Clare. It's very romantic seeing how they break apart and then are put back together again. I thought the author did a great job of capturing how both of the main characters change and shift throughout the book!
Also, I loved the inclusion of the art of creating prostheses during WWI. I had never really given much thought to what a person suffering some sort of war related disfigurement would do at that time. We get to see the process of making masks to not only hide the disfigurement but to improve the morale of the soldiers. Clare is one of the artists who is able to create these masks. I love when I can learn something from the books that I am reading and this was certainly eye-opening for me!
This is a good read with great writing. I know Luc and Clare will be on my mind long after I finished the last page!
June 13, 2022
I enjoyed this story set in WWI France but not as much as other books by this author. And one little nitpick: the phrase on page 11' "a cacophony of paintings"--What?!!
December 17, 2017
Ich verrate natürlich nichts, aber: Ich habe noch nie ein so perfektes Ende gelesen.
Dieses ganze Buch war wundervoll, zart, aber dennoch auf eine sehr intime Weise spannend, es hat mir gefallen, wie die Charaktere miteinander umgingen und agierten und wie gut ausgearbeitet und lebendig sie waren. Mir gefielen die gezielten Landschaftsbeschreibungen, die nie zu viel der Geschichte einnahmen und doch alles zum Leben erweckten.
Die Autorin hat einen ganz besonderen Schreibstil, der einerseits so harmonisch klingt und mit Leichtigkeit glänzt, aber im Grunde ist es auch so warmherzig, gleichermaßen auf eine subtile, unterschwellige Art wild. Diese Menschen lechzen nach dem Leben, nach Erfahrungen, nach dem Glück und der Hoffnung und die Schicksalsschläge, die sie erleiden, gehen auf den Leser über, als hätte er sie selbst in einem anderen Leben mal erlebt.
Ich fand in diesem Buch ein Zuhause und gleichzeitig Freunde, lernte aber auch, nicht jedem blind zu vertrauen und lernte, die Hoffnung trotz aller Widerspenstigkeiten des Lebens, nicht aufzugeben.
Für mich war es eines der schönsten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe und dafür könnte ich tausend Gründe nennen. Oder ihr lest es einfach selber.
Dieses ganze Buch war wundervoll, zart, aber dennoch auf eine sehr intime Weise spannend, es hat mir gefallen, wie die Charaktere miteinander umgingen und agierten und wie gut ausgearbeitet und lebendig sie waren. Mir gefielen die gezielten Landschaftsbeschreibungen, die nie zu viel der Geschichte einnahmen und doch alles zum Leben erweckten.
Die Autorin hat einen ganz besonderen Schreibstil, der einerseits so harmonisch klingt und mit Leichtigkeit glänzt, aber im Grunde ist es auch so warmherzig, gleichermaßen auf eine subtile, unterschwellige Art wild. Diese Menschen lechzen nach dem Leben, nach Erfahrungen, nach dem Glück und der Hoffnung und die Schicksalsschläge, die sie erleiden, gehen auf den Leser über, als hätte er sie selbst in einem anderen Leben mal erlebt.
Ich fand in diesem Buch ein Zuhause und gleichzeitig Freunde, lernte aber auch, nicht jedem blind zu vertrauen und lernte, die Hoffnung trotz aller Widerspenstigkeiten des Lebens, nicht aufzugeben.
Für mich war es eines der schönsten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe und dafür könnte ich tausend Gründe nennen. Oder ihr lest es einfach selber.
November 22, 2016
A couple of years ago I read Jessica Brockmole’s debut novel, LETTERS FROM SKYE and it was one of my most favorite books! I loved it! So when her follow up novel AT THE EDGE OF SUMMER came out, I was eager to read it and see if it too had the same magic as her first novel.
When I started this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect because my expectations were so high based on her first novel and I didn’t want to be let down. Any reservations were quickly put to rest within a few chapters. I had to stop myself from reading this book in one sitting, because I easily could have!
The love between Luc and Clare was powerful and inspirational. Brockmole showed the readers how powerful love and be and what it’s capable of enduring. The emotion of the characters was powerful and will surly captivate readers. They were well drawn and memorable. This was a novel that stayed with me long after I was finished. The chemistry between Luc and Clare was palpable and engaging. I was wholly invested in their love story.
I can’t say enough good things about this one, I absolutely love war romances and WWI was such as tragic war and added so much drama and depth to this story. I haven’t read a truly powerful and captivating love story in a while and this book met every expectation and hope that I had for it. I loved it and hope that other readers will find the same passion and joy in this book as I did.
See my full review here
When I started this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect because my expectations were so high based on her first novel and I didn’t want to be let down. Any reservations were quickly put to rest within a few chapters. I had to stop myself from reading this book in one sitting, because I easily could have!
The love between Luc and Clare was powerful and inspirational. Brockmole showed the readers how powerful love and be and what it’s capable of enduring. The emotion of the characters was powerful and will surly captivate readers. They were well drawn and memorable. This was a novel that stayed with me long after I was finished. The chemistry between Luc and Clare was palpable and engaging. I was wholly invested in their love story.
I can’t say enough good things about this one, I absolutely love war romances and WWI was such as tragic war and added so much drama and depth to this story. I haven’t read a truly powerful and captivating love story in a while and this book met every expectation and hope that I had for it. I loved it and hope that other readers will find the same passion and joy in this book as I did.
See my full review here
January 5, 2016
I loved this book so much!! It is an engrossing, beautiful story of love, friendship, war, and retribution. In the summer of 1911, Clare Ross's father passes away, and since her mother has been missing for a long time, she is whisked away from Scotland to France by her family's friends, the Crepets. Clare is 15, lonely, frightened, and confused, when she meets the Crepet's son, Luc, who is 19. Luc is a student at the university in Paris, a tennis player who aspires to be a teacher. That summer will live in their memories forever, as they become friends and Luc teaches Clare to see the world through the eyes of an artist. When Clare's grandfather comes to take her with him, their summer comes to an end, but they stay in touch for a while through letters. Clare is discovering a new world with her grandfather in Portual, Africa, and other exotic locales, while Luc becomes a soldier just as WWI erupts in Europe. Many years pass before they meet again. Can Clare fix what is broken in Luc, just as Luc helped her when she was so lost that summer long ago? The characters of Luc and Clare are so special, and as artists we see the world in a different light through them. The settings of the book are spectacular; the chateau in France, Clare's home and the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, the streets of Paris, and even the fields of war. As you follow Luc and Clare from that summer of 1911 through the years after the war, you will be taken on an emotional, thoughtful, heartfelt journey.
January 6, 2016
I've been in need of a good historical fiction book that immerses me in the characters' lives and sets me right in their world. This book fit the bill! "At the Edge of Summer" takes place primarily in France between 1911-1919. Young Clare Ross is sent to France from Scotland after her father dies. She lives with the Crepets who are deeply committed to their art. Luc, the young Crepet, takes Clare under his wing and a deep, lasting friendship (with hints of more) bursts up between them. They only have one summer together, but the effects of that summer change both of their lives. As Clare goes off to paint the world with her Grandfather, Luc joins the army and faces the tragedy of WWI. Part of the book is told in letters poured from their heart. When the war is over and life has changed dramatically for both Clare and Luc, they must learn to live again, to hope again and to believe in art again.
I loved Clare as the main voice of the book. She was believable and deep. I also loved how art was a character in and of itself. It was a unique spin on a WWI book. This is worth the read!
I loved Clare as the main voice of the book. She was believable and deep. I also loved how art was a character in and of itself. It was a unique spin on a WWI book. This is worth the read!
January 11, 2016
I am generally fairly stingy with my 5-star ratings... the book has to rank among my favorites. But I simply loved this book! I very much enjoyed Letters from Skye, and when I saw another book by the same author, I had to read it.
I don't even know how to describe this book. I love that it's more than just another romance; it's an actual story and the romance is just woven in as part of it. I like that it alternates between Clare's and Luc's points of view. I like that the characters aren't perfect. I love the descriptions of the places in the book - it makes me want to travel, not just to the places described but to those places during that time (clearly not the war part...). A must-read for me!
I received an advance copy as a Goodreads giveaway, but was in no way compelled to share my review.
I don't even know how to describe this book. I love that it's more than just another romance; it's an actual story and the romance is just woven in as part of it. I like that it alternates between Clare's and Luc's points of view. I like that the characters aren't perfect. I love the descriptions of the places in the book - it makes me want to travel, not just to the places described but to those places during that time (clearly not the war part...). A must-read for me!
I received an advance copy as a Goodreads giveaway, but was in no way compelled to share my review.
December 14, 2016
What a beautiful, happy feeling novel! I picked this up because I absolutely adored Letters From Skye and needed another historical romance to make my heart happy. I loved everything about At the Edge of Summer. It was vibrant and sweet and the characters were lovable and familiar somehow. Though this is a novel of war, it is mostly a novel of love and of hope. Each character had their own internal battles, and the sense of hope throughout the novel was incredibly touching. Of course the romance between Clare and Luc was the most beautiful thing to me. They found one another and saved one another multiple times and it was touching and felt incredibly real to me. I will definitely pick up anything by this author. Highly recommended.
March 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It is a touching story of a frightened young girl, the solace she finds for a brief while, and the boy she comes to love. All too soon, they are parted, he to enter WWI fighting for France, his homeland, and she to accompany her grandfather through many countries where he travels for a linguistic quest. The personalities of Clare and Luc are wonderful, and their story is beautiful, if heart-wrenching in parts.
August 12, 2018
I loved Jessica and how she paint for us the story of Luc and Clare. Love, friendship, healing and how you could find “your something/s important”.
December 2, 2016
I'm very sad. The author of this book wrote one of my absolute favorite books - Letters from Skye, yet this book could not be more different than that. I mean, this book mostly consists of letters, so they both have that in common, but this book is so BORING! I got to 38% and I just could not force myself to read any more of it. The relationship between Clare and Luc in the beginning is so rushed. Then once the letters start, they just come across as so unnatural even when taking into consideration the historical time period. I just can't read this anymore. So I am going to pretend she never wrote this book and still recommend her other (only!) one - especially in audiobook format. Seriously. The audiobook of Letters from Skye is fantastic, even if audiobooks is not your 'thing'. This book you can skip though.
May 19, 2016
3.5 stars
I first was exposed to Jessica Brockmole when I read a short story she wrote for the Fall of Poppies anthology. I enjoyed her story, so was excited to read her newest release, At the Edge of Summer. It is a historical fiction set mostly in Paris in pre, mid, & post WWI. A love between two artists is the backbone. Can their love survive all the challenges thrown in their path? Will they find ever find each other again?
The main characters of Clare and Luc are both likable and well-drawn. Storyline was good, though I felt there were maybe a few loose plot ends hanging. I loved the epilogue! If you enjoy WWI-era fiction, this is a book for you!
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for an ARC**
I first was exposed to Jessica Brockmole when I read a short story she wrote for the Fall of Poppies anthology. I enjoyed her story, so was excited to read her newest release, At the Edge of Summer. It is a historical fiction set mostly in Paris in pre, mid, & post WWI. A love between two artists is the backbone. Can their love survive all the challenges thrown in their path? Will they find ever find each other again?
The main characters of Clare and Luc are both likable and well-drawn. Storyline was good, though I felt there were maybe a few loose plot ends hanging. I loved the epilogue! If you enjoy WWI-era fiction, this is a book for you!
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for an ARC**
May 23, 2016
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful, full of joy and sorrow and art. The romance that blossoms is sweet and innocent and the entire time I wanted to smoosh their faces together ♥
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
January 20, 2016
This was another well-written historical fiction novel by the author. I enjoyed the relationship between Clare and Luc, & found it to be very "real" and not fake and fairytale-like.
January 23, 2017
Weak. For some reason, could not stay engrossed. The ending was improbable in the extreme as were several coincidences plotted along the way. Other than the two romantic main figures, other characters are quite two-dimensional.
The whole novel has a sketchy, hasty feeling to it. One does not expect a wartime novel to be shallow. This work should have been promoted as a YA or coming-of-age piece; much of the first half centers on their chidlhood and adolescent interaction.
The whole novel has a sketchy, hasty feeling to it. One does not expect a wartime novel to be shallow. This work should have been promoted as a YA or coming-of-age piece; much of the first half centers on their chidlhood and adolescent interaction.
August 25, 2017
This is a lovely story of young love, separation, betrayal and retribution and a long, lost love found again. There is a lot of correspondence between the lovers which at times dragged on, but also a few interesting chapters where it told how masks were created for men who had facial disfigurements from the war.
April 23, 2017
What a lovely historical story.
July 1, 2017
A quick, fun summer read. I liked the main characters and how it was written, but I do think she tied it up a little too nicely at the end. Still a fun book about WWI, which I knew very little about until reading this book.
August 17, 2018
A Heartfelt and sentimental read ! Thoroughly enjoyed this page turner. Couldn’t put it down.
July 10, 2016
Summer is now in full swing, but there's no better time to read Jessica Brockmole's latest historical novel, AT THE EDGE OF SUMMER (Ballantine). Set in France during the years 1911 to 1919, it offers a poignant story of love and self-discovery amid the turmoil of war and explores the power of art to heal broken souls.
With her artist mother, Maud, having abandoned the family four years earlier and her scholarly grandfather traveling the world in search of obscure dialects, fifteen year-old Clare Ross is left little more than an orphan when her father dies unexpectedly in Scotland. Clare faces a lonely future with only servants for companions until Rowena Crépet, her mother's best friend from art school, whisks her off to Mille Mots, the Crépets' shabby but comfortable manor house in France. Consoled by the Crépets' warm welcome and the bright, unfamiliar colors of the French countryside, Clare slowly begins to heal. The Crépet's tennis-loving son, nineteen year-old Luc, returns from his studies in Paris each weekend to spend time with Clare. Together they steal treats from the kitchen, rove the countryside, draw--and fall in love.
Love, however, is not easy for either of them. Repeatedly abandoned by those closest to her, Clare finds it difficult to trust; she overreacts to perceived slights directed at herself or at her wayward mother. Luc, standing on the brink of his adult life, struggles with his growing feelings for the younger, vulnerable girl. In contrast to Clare, Luc trusts far too easily, as the series of tragic incidents involving a German friend of his will ultimately prove. Just when it seems Clare and Luc might indeed find their way into each other's arms and hearts, events and distance separate them. For a time, they correspond by letter, but ultimately lose track of each other. Chance--and art--will bring them together again, yet each has been so shaped by circumstance that their reunion, on a romantic level, is far from assured. Battle has robbed Luc of trust in himself and others; it up to Clare this time to find a way to draw him from his cave of pain.
Brockmole alternates between Clare's and Luc's perspectives in structuring her tale, offering insights into each character's mind and providing the reader the factual framework behind their frequent misunderstandings. The author employs her knack for letter writing, honed in her immensely popular debut novel LETTERS FROM SKYE (Ballantine, 2013), to good effect in the long stretches of novel where distance separates Clare and Luc. The characters' correspondence skillfully captures the bashful hesitancies and unfulfilled yearnings of a young couple exploring the terrain of love for the very first time. Brockmole grounds her characters' emotional journey squarely in history, constructing a central conflict that pits the duties of national allegiance against the ties of friendship and trust. This betrayal leads the reader into the Parisian studio of sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd, whose staff creates lifelike masks for soldiers disfigured by chemicals or wounds during the war--a fascinating and, for me, unfamiliar place. Although I was a bit disappointed the plot did not more fully exploit the thread of Clare's search for her mother, I found AT THE EDGE OF SUMMER to be a solid and satisfying follow-up to LETTERS FROM SKYE and a perfect summer read.
With her artist mother, Maud, having abandoned the family four years earlier and her scholarly grandfather traveling the world in search of obscure dialects, fifteen year-old Clare Ross is left little more than an orphan when her father dies unexpectedly in Scotland. Clare faces a lonely future with only servants for companions until Rowena Crépet, her mother's best friend from art school, whisks her off to Mille Mots, the Crépets' shabby but comfortable manor house in France. Consoled by the Crépets' warm welcome and the bright, unfamiliar colors of the French countryside, Clare slowly begins to heal. The Crépet's tennis-loving son, nineteen year-old Luc, returns from his studies in Paris each weekend to spend time with Clare. Together they steal treats from the kitchen, rove the countryside, draw--and fall in love.
Love, however, is not easy for either of them. Repeatedly abandoned by those closest to her, Clare finds it difficult to trust; she overreacts to perceived slights directed at herself or at her wayward mother. Luc, standing on the brink of his adult life, struggles with his growing feelings for the younger, vulnerable girl. In contrast to Clare, Luc trusts far too easily, as the series of tragic incidents involving a German friend of his will ultimately prove. Just when it seems Clare and Luc might indeed find their way into each other's arms and hearts, events and distance separate them. For a time, they correspond by letter, but ultimately lose track of each other. Chance--and art--will bring them together again, yet each has been so shaped by circumstance that their reunion, on a romantic level, is far from assured. Battle has robbed Luc of trust in himself and others; it up to Clare this time to find a way to draw him from his cave of pain.
Brockmole alternates between Clare's and Luc's perspectives in structuring her tale, offering insights into each character's mind and providing the reader the factual framework behind their frequent misunderstandings. The author employs her knack for letter writing, honed in her immensely popular debut novel LETTERS FROM SKYE (Ballantine, 2013), to good effect in the long stretches of novel where distance separates Clare and Luc. The characters' correspondence skillfully captures the bashful hesitancies and unfulfilled yearnings of a young couple exploring the terrain of love for the very first time. Brockmole grounds her characters' emotional journey squarely in history, constructing a central conflict that pits the duties of national allegiance against the ties of friendship and trust. This betrayal leads the reader into the Parisian studio of sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd, whose staff creates lifelike masks for soldiers disfigured by chemicals or wounds during the war--a fascinating and, for me, unfamiliar place. Although I was a bit disappointed the plot did not more fully exploit the thread of Clare's search for her mother, I found AT THE EDGE OF SUMMER to be a solid and satisfying follow-up to LETTERS FROM SKYE and a perfect summer read.
November 17, 2017
Nach dem Tod ihres Vaters gibt es niemanden mehr, der sich zu Hause in Schottland um die fünfzehnjährige Clare kümmern könnte. Darum wird sie nach Frankreich zu einer alten Freundin ihrer Mutter geschickt, wo sie sich zunächst völlig fehl am Platz fühlt, weil dort alles so fremd und anders ist - die Landschaft, die Sprache, das bohèmehafte Leben auf dem alten Château der Crépets, das an allen Ecken und Enden baufällig ist. Die Crépets sind beide Künstler, wie es auch Clares Mutter war, die vor vielen Jahren spurlos verschwand, und auch der 19jährige Luc ist ein begabter Maler. Er ist es schließlich auch, der es schafft, Clare aus ihrem Schneckenhaus hervorzulocken, und entdeckt ihr künstlerisches Talent.
Nur einen Sommer lang bleibt Clare in der Picardie. Ein Briefwechsel verbindet sie weiterhin mit Luc, doch als der erste Weltkrieg ausbricht, wird für beide plötzlich alles anders. Clare wünscht sich nichts mehr, als Luc wiederzusehen, aber die Spurensuche scheint unmöglich, und sie beginnt irgendwann zu bezweifeln, dass er überhaupt noch am Leben ist ...
Hinter dem etwas nichtssagenden Titel verbirgt sich eine packend geschriebene Romanze in bewegten Zeiten. Die eigenwillige Clare und der charmante Luc wachsen dem Leser rasch ans Herz, das Erzähltempo ist flott, die Schauplätze werden atmosphärisch und plastisch geschildert, so dass man sich förmlich in diesen verzauberten Sommer 1911 und später in die Schrecknisse und Entbehrungen des Krieges wie auch in das Paris der Nachkriegszeit hineinversetzt fühlt.
Allerdings wirken einige Entwicklungen doch recht vorhersehbar oder zu glatt, und im Vergleich zu Romanen mit ähnlicher Thematik wie etwa "Was ich dir noch sagen wollte" von Louisa Young, das sich teilweise mit denselben Aspekten des Krieges auseinandersetzt, fehlt es ein wenig an Tiefe. Die Emotionen der jungen Soldaten, die Details auf den Schlachtfeldern und in den Lazaretten, die Ängste der jungen Frauen, die zu Hause um ihren Liebsten bangen und auch die Probleme, auf die die Kriegsheimkehrer beim Versuch, sich wieder in die Zivilgesellschaft einzugliedern, stoßen - all das ist da, wirkt aber nur oberflächlich angerissen und bleibt weitestgehend Staffage für die Liebesgeschichte. (Vielleicht bin ich einfach nicht so ganz die Zielgruppe, ich mag es gerade bei Büchern über Kriege lieber, wenn Autoren tiefer in die Psyche ihrer Figuren eindringen, als das hier der Fall ist.)
Nichtsdestotrotz ist das Buch nette Lektüre für einen heißen Sommernachmittag und regt durchaus dazu an, sich mit den historischen Hintergründen etwas näher zu beschäftigen.
Nur einen Sommer lang bleibt Clare in der Picardie. Ein Briefwechsel verbindet sie weiterhin mit Luc, doch als der erste Weltkrieg ausbricht, wird für beide plötzlich alles anders. Clare wünscht sich nichts mehr, als Luc wiederzusehen, aber die Spurensuche scheint unmöglich, und sie beginnt irgendwann zu bezweifeln, dass er überhaupt noch am Leben ist ...
Hinter dem etwas nichtssagenden Titel verbirgt sich eine packend geschriebene Romanze in bewegten Zeiten. Die eigenwillige Clare und der charmante Luc wachsen dem Leser rasch ans Herz, das Erzähltempo ist flott, die Schauplätze werden atmosphärisch und plastisch geschildert, so dass man sich förmlich in diesen verzauberten Sommer 1911 und später in die Schrecknisse und Entbehrungen des Krieges wie auch in das Paris der Nachkriegszeit hineinversetzt fühlt.
Allerdings wirken einige Entwicklungen doch recht vorhersehbar oder zu glatt, und im Vergleich zu Romanen mit ähnlicher Thematik wie etwa "Was ich dir noch sagen wollte" von Louisa Young, das sich teilweise mit denselben Aspekten des Krieges auseinandersetzt, fehlt es ein wenig an Tiefe. Die Emotionen der jungen Soldaten, die Details auf den Schlachtfeldern und in den Lazaretten, die Ängste der jungen Frauen, die zu Hause um ihren Liebsten bangen und auch die Probleme, auf die die Kriegsheimkehrer beim Versuch, sich wieder in die Zivilgesellschaft einzugliedern, stoßen - all das ist da, wirkt aber nur oberflächlich angerissen und bleibt weitestgehend Staffage für die Liebesgeschichte. (Vielleicht bin ich einfach nicht so ganz die Zielgruppe, ich mag es gerade bei Büchern über Kriege lieber, wenn Autoren tiefer in die Psyche ihrer Figuren eindringen, als das hier der Fall ist.)
Nichtsdestotrotz ist das Buch nette Lektüre für einen heißen Sommernachmittag und regt durchaus dazu an, sich mit den historischen Hintergründen etwas näher zu beschäftigen.
September 2, 2016
Das ist der erste Roman der Autorin, dass ich gelesen habe und ich finde ihn wirklich wunderbar.
Besonders schön war die Erzählung über das Kennenlernen von Clare und Luc. Ich fand die Autorin hat es richtig romantisch erzählt und so konnte ich als Leser mit den beiden richtig toll mitfühlen. Ich fand es schön, wie Luc am Wochenende extra zu seiner Mutter gefahren ist, um Clare zu treffen, aber sich nicht so direkt was getraut hat zu sagen.
Dann gibt es eine Art Mittelteil, den ich auch sehr spannend fand, hier überwiegen aber nicht die Gefühle, sondern die Erzählung über Clare’s Unternehmungen mit ihrem Opa und auch wie Luc in den Militärdienst muss. Fand ich auch sehr gelungen.
Den letzten Teil fand ich toll, aber teilweise leider etwas zäh. Hier beschreibt die Autorin, wie Clare sich wieder in Schottland einlebt und auch wie Luc mit dem Krieg fertig geworden ist und welche Ereignisse er dort noch hat verarbeiten müssen.
Aber in der ganzen Geschichte bringt die Autorin dem Leser die Gefühle und ihre Gedanken der beiden Hauptpersonen wunderbar näher. Interessant fand ich auch die Gespräche und das Zwischenspiel zwischen den beiden.
Die ganzen Erzählungen über den Krieg und die dortigen Ereignisse fand ich gelungen, aber ich muss gestehen, mir war das ganze dann doch teilweise zu langatmig. Vielleicht wäre es noch interessanter gewesen, wenn die Autorin diese ganze Thematik mehr vertieft hätte und detaillierter beschrieben hätte. So, war es zwar gelungen, aber für mich plätschert die Handlung in dieser Zeit einfach nur dahin, ohne großen Ereignisse.
Die Thematik der Kunst wird ganz interessant erzählt. Spannend fand ich hier, wie das Zusammenspiel Kunst und Frauen funktioniert hatte.
Die Schreibweise würde ich als toll beschreiben, weil sie auch nicht zu banal ist. Ich konnte über die Geschichte nicht einfach so drüber lesen, wie es leider bei manchen Autoren der Fall ist.
Die beiden Hauptpersonen fand ich ganz nett, sowohl Luc als auch Clare waren mir sympathisch. Ich hätte aber gerne etwas mehr Tiefe in den beiden gehabt, ich finde das fehlt etwas.
Das Cover finde ich reizend.
Fazit:
4 von 5 Sterne. Das Buch erhält von mir eine Leseempfehlung. Es ist eine schöne Geschichte, die durchaus unterhaltsam ist, wenn man gerne gefühlsbetonte Geschichten liest.
Besonders schön war die Erzählung über das Kennenlernen von Clare und Luc. Ich fand die Autorin hat es richtig romantisch erzählt und so konnte ich als Leser mit den beiden richtig toll mitfühlen. Ich fand es schön, wie Luc am Wochenende extra zu seiner Mutter gefahren ist, um Clare zu treffen, aber sich nicht so direkt was getraut hat zu sagen.
Dann gibt es eine Art Mittelteil, den ich auch sehr spannend fand, hier überwiegen aber nicht die Gefühle, sondern die Erzählung über Clare’s Unternehmungen mit ihrem Opa und auch wie Luc in den Militärdienst muss. Fand ich auch sehr gelungen.
Den letzten Teil fand ich toll, aber teilweise leider etwas zäh. Hier beschreibt die Autorin, wie Clare sich wieder in Schottland einlebt und auch wie Luc mit dem Krieg fertig geworden ist und welche Ereignisse er dort noch hat verarbeiten müssen.
Aber in der ganzen Geschichte bringt die Autorin dem Leser die Gefühle und ihre Gedanken der beiden Hauptpersonen wunderbar näher. Interessant fand ich auch die Gespräche und das Zwischenspiel zwischen den beiden.
Die ganzen Erzählungen über den Krieg und die dortigen Ereignisse fand ich gelungen, aber ich muss gestehen, mir war das ganze dann doch teilweise zu langatmig. Vielleicht wäre es noch interessanter gewesen, wenn die Autorin diese ganze Thematik mehr vertieft hätte und detaillierter beschrieben hätte. So, war es zwar gelungen, aber für mich plätschert die Handlung in dieser Zeit einfach nur dahin, ohne großen Ereignisse.
Die Thematik der Kunst wird ganz interessant erzählt. Spannend fand ich hier, wie das Zusammenspiel Kunst und Frauen funktioniert hatte.
Die Schreibweise würde ich als toll beschreiben, weil sie auch nicht zu banal ist. Ich konnte über die Geschichte nicht einfach so drüber lesen, wie es leider bei manchen Autoren der Fall ist.
Die beiden Hauptpersonen fand ich ganz nett, sowohl Luc als auch Clare waren mir sympathisch. Ich hätte aber gerne etwas mehr Tiefe in den beiden gehabt, ich finde das fehlt etwas.
Das Cover finde ich reizend.
Fazit:
4 von 5 Sterne. Das Buch erhält von mir eine Leseempfehlung. Es ist eine schöne Geschichte, die durchaus unterhaltsam ist, wenn man gerne gefühlsbetonte Geschichten liest.
July 5, 2016
I didn't jump on the Letters from Skye bandwagon. Thus, I didn't realize that Jessica Brockmole was such an excellent writer until I read her short story Something Worth Landing For in Fall of Poppies. In that same anthology, I learned of the Red Cross clinic that made life-like masks for soldiers with destroyed faces. After reading those tales, I wanted to read this one. I've also ordered Letters from Skye because Ms. Brockmole is a master with romance and character banter. The connection she forms between her heroes and heroines is amazing.
The summer these two spend together--the teenage boy who loves tennis and the young orphan girl just entering the confused stages of adulthood--is magical. The telling of it is magical. We are planted right there in the scenes. We feel their love, hope, confusion, dream their dreams. Then they are split. And this is where the story loses something. It felt to me that the magic was only there when the characters were together. Apart, living separate lives that really have nothing to do with each other, the story lost its interest somewhat. This could be due to Ms. Brockmole's excellent writing of character dialogue and connection and banter. I believe the readers enjoys those bits so much that we feel deprived of them when the characters are apart.
Claire's parts COULD have been intriguing. She was off traveling the world, learning many things, but her life away from him is summed up so quickly, in a few memories, conversations with her grandfather, and letters to Luc. Luc's war parts were gritty and sad, as to be expected.
I especially enjoyed the making of the mask and how Claire helps him heal inside from what has happened to him. There was a moment there I doubted they'd have their HEA. I was kept in suspense. I appreciate this about the novel too--that it wasn't overly predictable.
A solid read. I can't wait to read more by this author.
The summer these two spend together--the teenage boy who loves tennis and the young orphan girl just entering the confused stages of adulthood--is magical. The telling of it is magical. We are planted right there in the scenes. We feel their love, hope, confusion, dream their dreams. Then they are split. And this is where the story loses something. It felt to me that the magic was only there when the characters were together. Apart, living separate lives that really have nothing to do with each other, the story lost its interest somewhat. This could be due to Ms. Brockmole's excellent writing of character dialogue and connection and banter. I believe the readers enjoys those bits so much that we feel deprived of them when the characters are apart.
Claire's parts COULD have been intriguing. She was off traveling the world, learning many things, but her life away from him is summed up so quickly, in a few memories, conversations with her grandfather, and letters to Luc. Luc's war parts were gritty and sad, as to be expected.
I especially enjoyed the making of the mask and how Claire helps him heal inside from what has happened to him. There was a moment there I doubted they'd have their HEA. I was kept in suspense. I appreciate this about the novel too--that it wasn't overly predictable.
A solid read. I can't wait to read more by this author.
February 29, 2016
I seem to be reading so many books on WW both of them, but they make for fascinating reading as each individual story is so different and though the Wars are the background and the reason for the story, it is eventually stories of human lives changed, utterly transformed by the war. It is also strange that mostly it was because of the Wars that these stories actually came about.Clare is from Scotland and utterly bereft from the death of her father. Her grandfather is away in Ceylon, not contactable, her mother abandoned the family years before and has not been heard of since and so Clare is despatched to France to her mother's best friend who welcomes her with warmth and open arms. Here she meets Luc a young son of the house in University in Paris but who visits the house frequently and a very close relationship develops between the two.
Just as Clare arrived at the Crepets household, she goes away again with her grandfather on his travels from Morocca to Algiers to the Far East. The outbreak of WWI sees Clare back in France as an artist helping to make facial prostheses for wounded men trying to remake their world amongst people who may not accept or see them for who they are. Luc is one of those who make their way to Clare and how she is to tame this embittered man to the boy who was warm and kind hearted and whom Clare loved is this story.
Emotional, warm and descriptively told this is a beautiful story of survival and love, of family and of course the ugliness that is war.
Just as Clare arrived at the Crepets household, she goes away again with her grandfather on his travels from Morocca to Algiers to the Far East. The outbreak of WWI sees Clare back in France as an artist helping to make facial prostheses for wounded men trying to remake their world amongst people who may not accept or see them for who they are. Luc is one of those who make their way to Clare and how she is to tame this embittered man to the boy who was warm and kind hearted and whom Clare loved is this story.
Emotional, warm and descriptively told this is a beautiful story of survival and love, of family and of course the ugliness that is war.
September 8, 2016
I absolutely loved Letters From Skye, and so was anxiously awaiting Jessica Brockmole's next novel. At the Edge of Summer is simply breathtaking, a story I will not soon forget. This is the story of 19 year old Luc Crepet, a universtity student in Paris in 1911, and Clare Ross, a 15 year old Scottish girl, whom Luc finds staying at his family's country chateau when he ventures home one weekend at his mother's request. Madame Crepet, of Scottish descent herself, and a friend of Clare's family, brought Clare to their estate upon hearing of the death of her father, and knowing there was no other family to take care of Clare. This is the summer that Luc and Clare meet and begin a journey that takes them through WWI, up to 1922. Separated after the summer they meet, each faces challenges along the way to personal self-discovery.
Since Luc and Clare both come from a family of artists, art plays a significant role in their story. Jessica Brockmole creates very real, believable, and passionate characters that it is easy to care about. Even her secondary characters come alive on the page as Luc and Clare navigate their way into adulthood and through a world that shows the best and worst of mankind. This is a story of love, loss, and loneliness. This is a story both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. It brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions. Brockmole's research is thorough and recreates a world that I knew only briefly from my study of history. This novel cements this author in my mind as one that I will follow and long for her next work. It can't come soon enough.
Since Luc and Clare both come from a family of artists, art plays a significant role in their story. Jessica Brockmole creates very real, believable, and passionate characters that it is easy to care about. Even her secondary characters come alive on the page as Luc and Clare navigate their way into adulthood and through a world that shows the best and worst of mankind. This is a story of love, loss, and loneliness. This is a story both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. It brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions. Brockmole's research is thorough and recreates a world that I knew only briefly from my study of history. This novel cements this author in my mind as one that I will follow and long for her next work. It can't come soon enough.
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