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Amour Provence
A lush, evocative, debut novel set in Provence about the people who grow up and live and remain in two tiny neighboring villages—from the Nazi occupation to the present day—in particular, one man and one woman who have yet to find love.
In the south of France farm life unfolds with the rhythm of the seasons. But the lives of these villagers in Amour Provence reflect the reality that the midi is a place of extremes, the summers of unbearable heat and the winters that are often rude and harsh. Like the climate, the characters find themselves swept away by storms of unannounced and devastating intensity. A vintner’s adolescent son has a passionate romance with his schoolmate’s mother and they suffer different and enduring consequences. A young Arab woman forced into an arranged marriage, learns that life in the land of Liberté and Egalité can be just as confining as in her own country. A French woman who has lived abroad for many years returns home and discovers that certain members of her family are not pleased to have her back. An unexpected encounter with his past brings new sparks of life to a man who believed he had lost everything, including the only woman he ever loved.
In these two small adjacent villages in the South of France, characters lead lives that overlap and intertwine. Many are close neighbors who have known each other from childhood, linked by ancestors who clung for centuries to their patrimony, the land, which had always been poor, but is now a source of wealth drawn from wine, olives, and tourists. They know a great deal about each other’s hidden passions and weaknesses. Age-old resentments and closely guarded secrets retain their hold but are never to be discussed. Amour Provence is a portrait of lives deeply lived, shadowed by the past, against the backdrop of a region and a nation gripped by change.
In the south of France farm life unfolds with the rhythm of the seasons. But the lives of these villagers in Amour Provence reflect the reality that the midi is a place of extremes, the summers of unbearable heat and the winters that are often rude and harsh. Like the climate, the characters find themselves swept away by storms of unannounced and devastating intensity. A vintner’s adolescent son has a passionate romance with his schoolmate’s mother and they suffer different and enduring consequences. A young Arab woman forced into an arranged marriage, learns that life in the land of Liberté and Egalité can be just as confining as in her own country. A French woman who has lived abroad for many years returns home and discovers that certain members of her family are not pleased to have her back. An unexpected encounter with his past brings new sparks of life to a man who believed he had lost everything, including the only woman he ever loved.
In these two small adjacent villages in the South of France, characters lead lives that overlap and intertwine. Many are close neighbors who have known each other from childhood, linked by ancestors who clung for centuries to their patrimony, the land, which had always been poor, but is now a source of wealth drawn from wine, olives, and tourists. They know a great deal about each other’s hidden passions and weaknesses. Age-old resentments and closely guarded secrets retain their hold but are never to be discussed. Amour Provence is a portrait of lives deeply lived, shadowed by the past, against the backdrop of a region and a nation gripped by change.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2016
9 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Constance Leisure
1 book24 followersI grew up in New York City and later worked in publishing where I eventually became Books & Fiction Editor at Ladies's Home Journal. In 1990 I moved to France with my husband and two small children. There I began to freelance write and had some success publishing short stories. I was determined to write a novel but kept writing unsuccessfully about life in the U.S. until one day--after living in France for nearly 20 years--I began to write about the French. The novel became Amour Provence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
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August 4, 2016Sadly DNF at 20% finished, so no stars or review from me.
Just found this one to be disjointed and wasn't making a connection with the story or characters. Not sure if it was me or the book.
Best wishes to the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Just found this one to be disjointed and wasn't making a connection with the story or characters. Not sure if it was me or the book.
Best wishes to the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2017
This was such a delightful, charming book. I really enjoyed it. It really isn't a novel in the traditional sense- it is interconnected short stories. The book takes place in 2 villages in Provence. (will be there in 2 weeks!!)We meet different townspeople and get to know them and their families, their loves and their misfortunes. Some of the characters reappear in more than one story. I loved getting to know the people in these small towns- towns that are rife with gossip and everyone knowing everyone's business. I felt like a fly on the wall-eavesdropping on everyone's conversations. The writing is beautiful; the descriptions so perfect I felt like I was there. I highly recommend this book if you like a quieter read and if you like getting to know your neighbors in Provence!
April 30, 2023
On the surface this book had all the elements that would make it the kind of story I typically enjoy. For some reason I simply did not connect with the story, writing style or the characters. I don't DNF books so I persevered but this one was simply not for me. Set in Provence this is a historical drama that follows a number of different characters in a fictional village from the time of Nazi occupation and during the aftermath of war. I am sure this is just a matter of reader/story incompatibility and that other readers, especially fans of historical fiction, might connect with this book better.
Grateful to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Grateful to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
June 1, 2016
I was told that I should go ahead a post a review even when I don't like a book. I feel terrible about doing it, but ... Here goes. I found this book disjointed and "all over the place" - with no real connections between one story and the next except the location. The author did have write some truly beautiful passages at times and had some lovely words. BUT I didn't enjoy or connect to one character throughout the book. I kept wondering what was the point of any of these tales. I truly feel bad about posting a bad review - and it is only MY personal opinion.
September 20, 2019
DNF, A book I don’t recommend. One: first chapter is disgusting with the detailed romance. The summary of the story is a false hope. It’s really should be summarized as a short stories about a French town. The writing is choppy and its jumps from one place to the other. This why we should not judge a book by its cover. That is only reason giving it a second star.
November 10, 2022
This book reads more like a series of interconnected short stories than a novel. I appreciated the exploration of a range of characters at different points in their lives, allowing the reader to see a small town in Provence from different perspectives and through different eras. Still, I just didn't feel very connected to any of the characters and so I felt rather underwhelmed by the story as a whole.
July 28, 2019
Het is een redelijk boek. Al doet de tekst achterop het boek het geen eer aan. Het gaat niet zozeer over deze Didier en Berte, maar over vele andere personages uit het dorp. Het samenhangend geheel ontbreekt en soms wordt iets snel afgeraffeld waar wat onderzoek voor vergt. Dat is erg jammer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2016
I enjoyed Amour Provence, by Constance Leisure. The novel takes place in a small, wine-growing village in Provence. It starts in 1978 and goes until, I think, now. That was the only thing about the book that I didn't like. The 1st 3 chapters gave us dates so we knew how many years had passed from one chapter to the next. The last 6 chapters didn't do that. I say either have all of them with dates or none. Constance didn't consult me. Her bad. But I quibble. That's a fairly small criticism; more of an annoyance than a rating dropper.
There really is no plot to speak of. For most of the book, each chapter introduces us to one or more characters. I enjoy that in a book. From the middle on, there is some crossover. And, finally, we get a modified version of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Love Me Two Times kind of ending. I'm okay with that, as long as it makes sense and isn't forced. Constance does it well.
Even though the book mostly takes place in one village, we get a real sense of the hierarchy that existed (exists?) in that region of the world. We learn that Arabs, especially those that came from the Maghreb (Northern Africa, West of Egypt), and from Algeria, in particular. are treated as 2nd class citizens. The historical reason for that is because France controlled Algeria until the Algerians fought and won their independence in 1962. That meant that a lot of French living in Algeria ended up losing their land and businesses when they were expelled. But besides the Arabs, even the French that do not come from, or belong to, a wine-growing family are treated differently. This was evident even among the friends of Didi, who is one of the main protagonists.
Even though the book doesn't begin until 1978, we still get some WWII history about the German occupation of France through the story of Euphemie, one of the older characters (duh!). I like the way Constance interjects Euphemie's story, in the same way that Jodi Picoult did it in The Storyteller. Having been a history major in college (that did me a lot of good in the working world!), I really enjoy learning history through novels. That's one of the reasons why I liked Ruta Sepetys' books so much. It's a painless way to learn.
And since I haven't said this yet, Amour Provence is a VERY well written book. I sometimes have trouble with books that have long paragraphs and that are pretty descriptive. And there may have been a few moments where I had to tell myself to focus. But I can't dispute the fact that I actually enjoyed Constance's writing. Maybe there's still hope for me!
There really is no plot to speak of. For most of the book, each chapter introduces us to one or more characters. I enjoy that in a book. From the middle on, there is some crossover. And, finally, we get a modified version of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Love Me Two Times kind of ending. I'm okay with that, as long as it makes sense and isn't forced. Constance does it well.
Even though the book mostly takes place in one village, we get a real sense of the hierarchy that existed (exists?) in that region of the world. We learn that Arabs, especially those that came from the Maghreb (Northern Africa, West of Egypt), and from Algeria, in particular. are treated as 2nd class citizens. The historical reason for that is because France controlled Algeria until the Algerians fought and won their independence in 1962. That meant that a lot of French living in Algeria ended up losing their land and businesses when they were expelled. But besides the Arabs, even the French that do not come from, or belong to, a wine-growing family are treated differently. This was evident even among the friends of Didi, who is one of the main protagonists.
Even though the book doesn't begin until 1978, we still get some WWII history about the German occupation of France through the story of Euphemie, one of the older characters (duh!). I like the way Constance interjects Euphemie's story, in the same way that Jodi Picoult did it in The Storyteller. Having been a history major in college (that did me a lot of good in the working world!), I really enjoy learning history through novels. That's one of the reasons why I liked Ruta Sepetys' books so much. It's a painless way to learn.
And since I haven't said this yet, Amour Provence is a VERY well written book. I sometimes have trouble with books that have long paragraphs and that are pretty descriptive. And there may have been a few moments where I had to tell myself to focus. But I can't dispute the fact that I actually enjoyed Constance's writing. Maybe there's still hope for me!
March 10, 2016
This review is based on an advance uncorrected proof. Three and a half stars.
The setting of this book, in an area of Provence widely populated by vintners, is a major strength of this book. I appreciated that the descriptions in this novel went well beyond the pat and stereotypical musings on the fields of lavender and sunflowers that many books set in Provence never venture past. I felt the towns (mostly fictional, I believe) came to life and served as characters of their own. Since this is not a typical story of an American tourist traveling in Provence, the stories themselves are also more gritty than some readers might expect. Many stories involve tragedies or more unsavory aspects of life, though the book is not sad or depressing as a whole, and learning bits and pieces about the lives of vintners and the culture of Provence was fascinating.
The biggest fault of this book lies not with the story itself, but with the synopsis on the jacket, which is a bit misleading. The summary leads the reader to believe this is a novel following a group of friends. While this is somewhat true, the book reads more as a novel told in short stories. Many chapters pass without any of the main characters interacting in a meaningful way, and even by the end, some of the stories remain separate from one another, though they are all tied together by their shared setting of neighboring Provencal villages. While the individual stories mostly have satisfying resolutions, the book does not follow a typical structure with a beginning, middle, and end, and there is no climax to the novel as a whole. However, the glimpses into each character's life and home are enjoyable and well-written, and the characters themselves are unique, flawed, and interesting.
The separate nature of some of the stories may make it a difficult read for book clubs. Overall, this is a quiet and well-written book that lies somewhere between short stories and a novel.
The setting of this book, in an area of Provence widely populated by vintners, is a major strength of this book. I appreciated that the descriptions in this novel went well beyond the pat and stereotypical musings on the fields of lavender and sunflowers that many books set in Provence never venture past. I felt the towns (mostly fictional, I believe) came to life and served as characters of their own. Since this is not a typical story of an American tourist traveling in Provence, the stories themselves are also more gritty than some readers might expect. Many stories involve tragedies or more unsavory aspects of life, though the book is not sad or depressing as a whole, and learning bits and pieces about the lives of vintners and the culture of Provence was fascinating.
The biggest fault of this book lies not with the story itself, but with the synopsis on the jacket, which is a bit misleading. The summary leads the reader to believe this is a novel following a group of friends. While this is somewhat true, the book reads more as a novel told in short stories. Many chapters pass without any of the main characters interacting in a meaningful way, and even by the end, some of the stories remain separate from one another, though they are all tied together by their shared setting of neighboring Provencal villages. While the individual stories mostly have satisfying resolutions, the book does not follow a typical structure with a beginning, middle, and end, and there is no climax to the novel as a whole. However, the glimpses into each character's life and home are enjoyable and well-written, and the characters themselves are unique, flawed, and interesting.
The separate nature of some of the stories may make it a difficult read for book clubs. Overall, this is a quiet and well-written book that lies somewhere between short stories and a novel.
May 1, 2016
Stories set in two time frames dealing with the same families are always good for me. Set in Provence during the time of the Nazi as well as much later the story outlines the lives of several people from the time they were youngsters as well as their parents and then goes on to the later scenario and how lives have changed/been unchanged.
In the vineyards and farms where the story is set, life is governed by what is seasonally done for generations. Also livelihoods have been passed from father to son. A variation in this set in stone lifestyle is not looked at well by either neighbours or the community at large. The return of a daughter after a broken marriage to a Scottish man is looked at askance, especially as her sibling feels that he may get deprived of his inheritance. A young Arab woman hoping for a life of freedom realises that she has escaped one constrictive life for another where everyone looks at her with suspicion and life is still governed by what her husband decides. A young man has an affair with the mother of another young man in the village, but the affair only comes back to bite him decades later and leads to his divorce and isolation.
Interspersed with the complicated lives of the people of the midi, is also the descriptiveness of this bleak, but beautiful countryside. The people seem at times harsh molded by the landscape they inhabit and this must influence the way they think and behave, but the story is compelling reading.
Strong characterization was another hallmark of this story which made for an interesting read.
In the vineyards and farms where the story is set, life is governed by what is seasonally done for generations. Also livelihoods have been passed from father to son. A variation in this set in stone lifestyle is not looked at well by either neighbours or the community at large. The return of a daughter after a broken marriage to a Scottish man is looked at askance, especially as her sibling feels that he may get deprived of his inheritance. A young Arab woman hoping for a life of freedom realises that she has escaped one constrictive life for another where everyone looks at her with suspicion and life is still governed by what her husband decides. A young man has an affair with the mother of another young man in the village, but the affair only comes back to bite him decades later and leads to his divorce and isolation.
Interspersed with the complicated lives of the people of the midi, is also the descriptiveness of this bleak, but beautiful countryside. The people seem at times harsh molded by the landscape they inhabit and this must influence the way they think and behave, but the story is compelling reading.
Strong characterization was another hallmark of this story which made for an interesting read.
February 27, 2016
The author, Constance Leisure, tells tales of 2 villages in Provence and the intertwined lives of the villagers who live there. It is a land of ruined chateaus, weather extremes and small vineyards. The family owned vineyards have begun producing some highly rated wines and tourists are now attracted to the towns.
These stories begin during WWII and continue to the present day. A young girl, whose family mansion is overtaken by the Nazis, discovers an American flyer whose plane was shot down. A teen boy is seduced by the married mother of his friend. The short lived affair is ended when the woman's husband is killed in a hunting accident. A young woman, who flees her town to live in Scotland, returns years later. She is now a divorced woman yearning for a simple life and possibly a new chance at love. A woman is forced into an arranged marriage, leaves her Algerian home and ends up living in one of the villages with her oppressive husband.
The author uses rich language to depict French village life. The reader will learn of the age old secrets and feuds of the villagers. They will also learn of the beauty and severity of this region of France that has inspired artists for generations.
These stories begin during WWII and continue to the present day. A young girl, whose family mansion is overtaken by the Nazis, discovers an American flyer whose plane was shot down. A teen boy is seduced by the married mother of his friend. The short lived affair is ended when the woman's husband is killed in a hunting accident. A young woman, who flees her town to live in Scotland, returns years later. She is now a divorced woman yearning for a simple life and possibly a new chance at love. A woman is forced into an arranged marriage, leaves her Algerian home and ends up living in one of the villages with her oppressive husband.
The author uses rich language to depict French village life. The reader will learn of the age old secrets and feuds of the villagers. They will also learn of the beauty and severity of this region of France that has inspired artists for generations.
March 22, 2016
I generally love books that take place in France. I felt this story had so much potential but just did not succeed in the end. Martin Walker’s series about Bruno, Chief of Police, drops the reader right into small town French culture and gastronomy. I had hoped this book would do the same for Provence but unfortunately it did not. It was choppy and jumped all over the place. I was not left with any sense of the area or its culture or inhabitants.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
May 30, 2016
I was given a free ARC fromNetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Rich in narrative and descriptions of this beautiful place in France. Interesting and diverse characters are well described. I liked the way the book was written and at times felt like I watching a scene unravel before me.
A pleasant tale of village life set amongst the vineyards.
3.5***
Rich in narrative and descriptions of this beautiful place in France. Interesting and diverse characters are well described. I liked the way the book was written and at times felt like I watching a scene unravel before me.
A pleasant tale of village life set amongst the vineyards.
3.5***
July 27, 2016
This is a light little book of overlapping short stories based in rural Provence. The writing is a bit florid for my taste, but the characters are generally interesting and the interconnectedness of their lives keeps the book alive.
November 20, 2020
I debated whether to give this a 3 or 4 stars. I decided on 4 because by the time I finished, I knew that this writer was a very, very good writer and that outweighed other things. Yes, it is more of a series of short stories that are somewhat interconnected. Individually, they were well done, but I think there could have been more of a thread woven through that gave it a beginning, middle, and an end so it would feel more complete. The first story, about Didier, felt very different from all the others. As though it were meant to be shocking to get us to keep reading (more scandalous than I was prepared for). I thought the writer did a wonderful job of transporting me to Provence. I felt I learned a lot about the region and its people. I would read a follow up book because I'm sure she will grow in her talents.
June 21, 2017
I absolutely adored this book, which follows the lives of a group of people from the Midi region of Provence. It's quite a gorgeous book and I love how the narrative unfolds like a selection of linked short stories. Each chapter is completely different, but the characters reoccur throughout at different points in their lives. The descriptions are lush, the characters well-developed, and the narrative strong. In addition, I greatly admire how this book subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) addresses issues of race, sexism, immigration, violence, family, and love. I highly, highly recommend!
August 12, 2019
I liked how this book was written as a series of stories about people in the same town. Unfortunately, I really disliked the first story so almost didn’t continue reading thinking this was a traditionally written novel. I’m glad I continued it to see how the lives in this village unfolded. I especially enjoyed discovering news about one character while reading about another.
October 21, 2024
(3.5 stars) Set in Provence, this is a series of stories of those living in a small village. While some of the characters interconnect, others have distinct stories. They range from lost loves that return, family greed that puts a woman in a nursing home, the impacts of WWII, and how immigrants struggle to fit into the norms of the village.
May 30, 2017
Story was okay for me, it might have been because I listened to the audio book but at times I found it hard to keep the characters straight. That said I loved the location and the descriptions of the people and places in Provence.
July 18, 2019
Moest er even in komen. Het flitst van de ene dorpsbewoner naar de andere. Op een gegeven moment ontdek je de lijn erin en je raakt steeds meer betrokken bij de bewoners. De achterkant vind ik misleidend.
August 22, 2022
A friend recommended this to me several years ago and I gave up at about 20%. I recently went back to it and finished it over vacation. Not sure I got what she wanted me to get, but very enjoyable all the same.
June 10, 2017
Ik had er denk ik meer van verwacht. Mooie verhalen maar ik werd er niet in meegezogen. Uiteindelijk niet uitgelezen.
August 31, 2017
A delightful read.
April 5, 2020
Not great literature but a sweet story about villagers in a small town in Provence. It was a fun and entertaining read during Covid isolation.
May 14, 2020
More like 2.5
August 30, 2020
Confusing at first, it all together in the end. The fact that the stories took place in Provence were enough to keep me going until I found the thread connecting the varied stories.
August 15, 2021
Niet bijzonder, verhaal heeft veel verhaallijnen door elkaar met veel open einden
February 16, 2023
I really did not like this book. The characters were really flat. The "stories" were very disjointed. The only redeeming quality was the author's descriptions of the countryside in Provence.
August 17, 2024
Enjoyed reading this book because 1) love this area of France and 2) love reading about living in France.
March 5, 2017
A beautiful story about several characters as they live, love and grow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews