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What Remains of Love
At the reading of her beloved father’s will, Kate, a divorced French professor, learns of his affaire de coeur during World War II with a French artist named Emilie, to whom he has left a substantial bequest. Kate, stunned to discover the existence of this woman who captivated her father, is determined to unravel the mystery of his past and unearth the truth.
Though Emilie has passed away, her daughter Yvette sends a box of her mother’s keepsakes from the war that are even more unnerving – among them a dried flower, a photograph, two smooth stones, and a train ticket. With the help of a long-hidden memoir Kate begins to see the significance of these items that create the picture of a father she thought she knew.
Kate wonders about her parents’ marriage. After the war had he abandoned passion for honor? Did he really love her mother, or was he compelled to marry her out of his sense of duty? How well did she really know her father? Or her mother? When more secrets are revealed in the final pages of the memoir, she embarks on a journey to the south of France to reconcile the past and confront her own demons, as well as the legacy of her father’s wartime love affair and the price he paid to live an honorable life.
Kate’s life is changed forever…
Though Emilie has passed away, her daughter Yvette sends a box of her mother’s keepsakes from the war that are even more unnerving – among them a dried flower, a photograph, two smooth stones, and a train ticket. With the help of a long-hidden memoir Kate begins to see the significance of these items that create the picture of a father she thought she knew.
Kate wonders about her parents’ marriage. After the war had he abandoned passion for honor? Did he really love her mother, or was he compelled to marry her out of his sense of duty? How well did she really know her father? Or her mother? When more secrets are revealed in the final pages of the memoir, she embarks on a journey to the south of France to reconcile the past and confront her own demons, as well as the legacy of her father’s wartime love affair and the price he paid to live an honorable life.
Kate’s life is changed forever…
- GenresHistorical Fiction
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 28, 2023
There is so much to love about this book. An intriguing plot, complex and well-developed characters, and mesmerizing descriptions of locations and events. Also, there is an epic love story. Suzanne Trauth expertly connects all aspects of the past with the present to make a cohesive, emotionally-charged tale of love and loss while navigating difficult choices. Holly Adam's audiobook narration is engaging and her creation of each character is full and specific. Her acting thoroughly brings the characters and narrative to life. Highly recommended.
September 4, 2023
A beautiful story of love and family and forgiveness. The characters are very believable and capture the time in which they lived. The daughter, who narrates the story, tells of the love between her parents and then she learns of a love long before she was born. A love that lived on and impacted her family in ways she never knew. Parents often suppress their own desires and needs for their children and this woman's parents were no different. If everyone had been truthful to one another the story would have been very different.
February 14, 2023
A lovely story of love, sacrifice and family.
Kate Whitman was still grieving the death of her father when at the reading of his will, their father’s long-time friend and lawyer announces that a quarter of his personal Estate would go to a French woman none of the siblings ever heard their father speak of before.
While her oldest brother was determined to fight this bequest, Kate wanted to know more about this mystery woman and her connection to her father. Unfortunately they soon receive a letter from her daughter advising that her mother, Emilie Renault, died a year ago. Kate is determined to find out more and after further letters to Yvonne, she forwards a box to Kate. Written on the box is "Mementos - D. Whitman." The odd items: a handkerchief, two stones, a train ticket and a pressed flower don’t really provide the answers that Kate was looking for, only more mystery.
It isn’t until Kate encounters a locked drawer while cleaning out her father’s desk and finds a diary of one Emilie Caronne Renault that Kate learns of the love story between am American soldier during WW II and a beautiful, young French girl.
Their story is both delightful and tragic and Kate realizes just how much she really didn’t know the man she looked up to all these years.
Thought:
I was pulled into this story right away as the family dynamics unfold. We have the usual issues between siblings, who was closer to mom and who was closer to Dad. The 10 year age gap between Kate and her oldest brother. The issue with their drunken uncle, a black sheep of the family. There is also reference to a middle brother who moved to Alaska but as he never appears, he wasn't really needed for this story.
Of course, the whole story becomes even more engrossing as we dive into Emilie’s diary. It begins in the height of the war while the Germans are occupying Nice. We feel the dread as food, money and jobs become scarce. Then the growing fear as more of the gestapo arrive in town to deal with the growing French resistance and who is hiding secrets as more and more of the young people disappear off the streets. And finally the giddy joy as the allies push out the Germans and liberate France.
Emilie and Daniel meet by accident and are drawn into a whirlwind romance. We enjoy their growing love story, even if it is bittersweet knowing from the start since Daniel will eventually return to New Jersey and his fiancé, Kate’s mother, leaving his heart behind forever with Emilie.
Kate gets the story she has been dying to know but learning the truth shifts her entire family dynamic in ways she could never anticipate, even bringing her closer to the parents she really never truly knew.
This author was recommended to me and I thought this story was going to be outside of my normal book choices, but it was full of romance, albeit not a Happily Ever After. This was an enjoyable story filled with historical references, family secrets, and quickly draws the reader in. Suzanne Trauth also has a mystery series that I will have to look into. This is currently listed as a Kindle Unlimited selection and I picked it up my own copy for only $.99.
Kate Whitman was still grieving the death of her father when at the reading of his will, their father’s long-time friend and lawyer announces that a quarter of his personal Estate would go to a French woman none of the siblings ever heard their father speak of before.
While her oldest brother was determined to fight this bequest, Kate wanted to know more about this mystery woman and her connection to her father. Unfortunately they soon receive a letter from her daughter advising that her mother, Emilie Renault, died a year ago. Kate is determined to find out more and after further letters to Yvonne, she forwards a box to Kate. Written on the box is "Mementos - D. Whitman." The odd items: a handkerchief, two stones, a train ticket and a pressed flower don’t really provide the answers that Kate was looking for, only more mystery.
It isn’t until Kate encounters a locked drawer while cleaning out her father’s desk and finds a diary of one Emilie Caronne Renault that Kate learns of the love story between am American soldier during WW II and a beautiful, young French girl.
Their story is both delightful and tragic and Kate realizes just how much she really didn’t know the man she looked up to all these years.
Thought:
I was pulled into this story right away as the family dynamics unfold. We have the usual issues between siblings, who was closer to mom and who was closer to Dad. The 10 year age gap between Kate and her oldest brother. The issue with their drunken uncle, a black sheep of the family. There is also reference to a middle brother who moved to Alaska but as he never appears, he wasn't really needed for this story.
Of course, the whole story becomes even more engrossing as we dive into Emilie’s diary. It begins in the height of the war while the Germans are occupying Nice. We feel the dread as food, money and jobs become scarce. Then the growing fear as more of the gestapo arrive in town to deal with the growing French resistance and who is hiding secrets as more and more of the young people disappear off the streets. And finally the giddy joy as the allies push out the Germans and liberate France.
Emilie and Daniel meet by accident and are drawn into a whirlwind romance. We enjoy their growing love story, even if it is bittersweet knowing from the start since Daniel will eventually return to New Jersey and his fiancé, Kate’s mother, leaving his heart behind forever with Emilie.
Kate gets the story she has been dying to know but learning the truth shifts her entire family dynamic in ways she could never anticipate, even bringing her closer to the parents she really never truly knew.
This author was recommended to me and I thought this story was going to be outside of my normal book choices, but it was full of romance, albeit not a Happily Ever After. This was an enjoyable story filled with historical references, family secrets, and quickly draws the reader in. Suzanne Trauth also has a mystery series that I will have to look into. This is currently listed as a Kindle Unlimited selection and I picked it up my own copy for only $.99.
October 26, 2022
The grief is all-consuming when Kate Whitman’s dear father, Daniel Whitman, dies. As a self-proclaimed daddy’s girl, they shared a special bond, unfettered by secrets. At least that’s what she believed to be true until she discovered that, according to his will, he had left a large sum of money to a mysterious woman French woman, Emilie Renault. Her brother DJ is outraged and seeks legal advice regarding the inheritance. Kate couldn’t care less about the money. Still, she is distraught to know that her dad hid secrets, indiscretions, and a possible love affair that she knew nothing about. She has many questions: Did Kate’s late mother know about Emilie? Was her father in love with this other woman?
The lawyer in charge of the will is contacted by Emilie’s daughter, who informs him of her mother’s recent death. She declines the inheritance and gives no further information. Kate is more determined than ever to unearth the truth. After contacting Emilie’s daughter, Yvette, and getting nothing more than a picture of her father and Emilie during the Second World War and a few scraps of paper in a yellowed envelope, Kate is stumped. Still, when she discovers Emilie’s journal locked away on her father’s desk, things start unraveling, secrets from his life as a soldier, including his time in France. Kate begins to question her life—everything she thought to be true could be in jeopardy.
“What Remains of Love” by Suzanne Trauth is an engaging story about a grieving daughter’s pursuit for closure and answers surrounding her father’s secret life. The story is told from the first-person perspective following Kate, but switches narrative frequently upon Kate’s discovery of Emilie’s memoir. Readers are transported from present-day New York to the war-torn streets of Paris during the Nazi invasion. Resistance, desperation, and love reveal themselves in the yellowed pages of Emilie’s poignant memoir—it is the ultimate love story.
Between Emilie’s harrowing memoir and Kate’s obsession with making sense of their love affair, the author did an excellent job weaving the various perspectives into the story. I enjoyed learning about the dangerous, albeit exciting, life of someone who was part of the resistance and following the emotional love story between Emilie and Daniel. The writing highlighted the emotional rollercoaster of young, forbidden love—equal parts joy and despair. In addition, I experienced a vastly different but equally powerful narrative from Kate as she learned more about herself through Emilie’s memoir and recollections of her childhood and young adult life. Her anguish over her father’s death was palpable, but the discovery of the memoir allowed her to see her father in a new light, which was good for healing.
“What Remains of Love” has all the ingredients to make up an emotionally driven story about family, secrets, and unrequited love. Moreover, the alternative perspectives and dates give it another layer of intrigue. The flawless character development was the cherry on top—a book worthy of five stars!
The lawyer in charge of the will is contacted by Emilie’s daughter, who informs him of her mother’s recent death. She declines the inheritance and gives no further information. Kate is more determined than ever to unearth the truth. After contacting Emilie’s daughter, Yvette, and getting nothing more than a picture of her father and Emilie during the Second World War and a few scraps of paper in a yellowed envelope, Kate is stumped. Still, when she discovers Emilie’s journal locked away on her father’s desk, things start unraveling, secrets from his life as a soldier, including his time in France. Kate begins to question her life—everything she thought to be true could be in jeopardy.
“What Remains of Love” by Suzanne Trauth is an engaging story about a grieving daughter’s pursuit for closure and answers surrounding her father’s secret life. The story is told from the first-person perspective following Kate, but switches narrative frequently upon Kate’s discovery of Emilie’s memoir. Readers are transported from present-day New York to the war-torn streets of Paris during the Nazi invasion. Resistance, desperation, and love reveal themselves in the yellowed pages of Emilie’s poignant memoir—it is the ultimate love story.
Between Emilie’s harrowing memoir and Kate’s obsession with making sense of their love affair, the author did an excellent job weaving the various perspectives into the story. I enjoyed learning about the dangerous, albeit exciting, life of someone who was part of the resistance and following the emotional love story between Emilie and Daniel. The writing highlighted the emotional rollercoaster of young, forbidden love—equal parts joy and despair. In addition, I experienced a vastly different but equally powerful narrative from Kate as she learned more about herself through Emilie’s memoir and recollections of her childhood and young adult life. Her anguish over her father’s death was palpable, but the discovery of the memoir allowed her to see her father in a new light, which was good for healing.
“What Remains of Love” has all the ingredients to make up an emotionally driven story about family, secrets, and unrequited love. Moreover, the alternative perspectives and dates give it another layer of intrigue. The flawless character development was the cherry on top—a book worthy of five stars!
November 25, 2022
Originally reviewed for Chick Lit Central (www.chicklitcentral.com)
I enjoyed going along with Kate on her journey into familial discovery. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to find so many secrets within my own family, and while Kate slowly learns the truth, it also triggers past events that only support her discoveries. The way the story is told really worked, because we find ourselves in the midst of the present, while Kate deals with the healing needed to find a way to get past her father’s death, and then after she finds Emilie’s memoir, we are catapulted back into the past with Emilie. It all unfolds in its own time in the most beautiful of ways.
Something I could really relate to had been Kate’s relationship with her mother. There had always been a lot of contention, so while Kate works on reconciling the way she had alway viewed her father, she’s also finding that she is reconciling the way she viewed her mother, too. Had her mother known about Emilie? And if she did know, what would that mean for the marriage Kate had witnessed growing up?
I also enjoyed Emilie. My grandfather had fought in the war, so whenever I read something that takes the reader back to that era, I always imagine him there, too. I think we often forget what sort of turmoil and hardship had been faced back then, and Emilie doesn’t pull any punches, describing in detail the life she lived and what she had seen during those war-turbulent times. It isn’t any surprise that she not only found great comfort in the relationship she had with Kate’s father, but that Kate’s father had needed her during that time in his life for survival. It begs the question of what is right and what is wrong, and whether we can really view the world in such sharp degrees of black and white, or if we need to see it in a multitude of shades of gray.
In the end, an unexpected revelation drives Kate to France in order to put the pieces together and decide how she wants to proceed, not only in the reconciliation within her own life, but in determining how she wants to live her life going forward. What Remains of Love really was a bittersweet story of love lost and found, the sacrifices we make, and ultimately, how even the smallest choices can create ripple effects into the present, future, and beyond. This is a definite five-star experience!
I enjoyed going along with Kate on her journey into familial discovery. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to find so many secrets within my own family, and while Kate slowly learns the truth, it also triggers past events that only support her discoveries. The way the story is told really worked, because we find ourselves in the midst of the present, while Kate deals with the healing needed to find a way to get past her father’s death, and then after she finds Emilie’s memoir, we are catapulted back into the past with Emilie. It all unfolds in its own time in the most beautiful of ways.
Something I could really relate to had been Kate’s relationship with her mother. There had always been a lot of contention, so while Kate works on reconciling the way she had alway viewed her father, she’s also finding that she is reconciling the way she viewed her mother, too. Had her mother known about Emilie? And if she did know, what would that mean for the marriage Kate had witnessed growing up?
I also enjoyed Emilie. My grandfather had fought in the war, so whenever I read something that takes the reader back to that era, I always imagine him there, too. I think we often forget what sort of turmoil and hardship had been faced back then, and Emilie doesn’t pull any punches, describing in detail the life she lived and what she had seen during those war-turbulent times. It isn’t any surprise that she not only found great comfort in the relationship she had with Kate’s father, but that Kate’s father had needed her during that time in his life for survival. It begs the question of what is right and what is wrong, and whether we can really view the world in such sharp degrees of black and white, or if we need to see it in a multitude of shades of gray.
In the end, an unexpected revelation drives Kate to France in order to put the pieces together and decide how she wants to proceed, not only in the reconciliation within her own life, but in determining how she wants to live her life going forward. What Remains of Love really was a bittersweet story of love lost and found, the sacrifices we make, and ultimately, how even the smallest choices can create ripple effects into the present, future, and beyond. This is a definite five-star experience!
July 22, 2022
What a great read!
This is a beautiful love story, and much, much more.
It is a story of war, with it's tragedies and its triumphs.
It is story of families, their secrets, struggles, and promises.
But the heart of the novel is about love, its meaning, its complexity, and ultimately what will remain of love?
Suzanne Trauth is a gifted writer who weaves each of these themes together through the voices of her wonderful characters. The novel takes place in both present day America, and in France during the last year of World War II. With vivid description the reader is drawn into a story that is a real pageturner. A five star read!
This is a beautiful love story, and much, much more.
It is a story of war, with it's tragedies and its triumphs.
It is story of families, their secrets, struggles, and promises.
But the heart of the novel is about love, its meaning, its complexity, and ultimately what will remain of love?
Suzanne Trauth is a gifted writer who weaves each of these themes together through the voices of her wonderful characters. The novel takes place in both present day America, and in France during the last year of World War II. With vivid description the reader is drawn into a story that is a real pageturner. A five star read!
August 17, 2023
I read this intriguing book in one day. The plot of this love story mystery caught my attention and never released its grip until the end. Like most of us, Kate knew her parents through her own experiences with them, details they shared, and old photos. But she never considered that her father had a past with secrets until after his death when clues emerged. The author presents this timeless love story through two perspectives...Kate's journey to piece together obscure "souvenirs" and through a voice from her father's past. A beautiful read that warmed my heart.
March 21, 2023
This was such a poignant story, I think it was the best one I have read in the past year. It brought me back to my father who served in Germany for the last few years of World War II. Like a lot of service people, he would never talk about the time he served. He came back with foot rot and I remember him soaking his feet for years in a dark red solution. Reading the story in this book brought me to tears and memories of my father. This story rates more than 5 stars!
September 26, 2023
I could not put this book down! I *loved* the effective way the author juxtaposed past and present. The steady accretion of facts and emotional realizations was masterfully done. The book is a combination of genres: coming of age, coming to terms with the past, historical realities, some romance, mystery, family dynamics . . . and it is all presented in a compelling manner. I just loved the whole reading experience and the skill the author displayed in telling this story. I will be reading all of this author's works! Highly recommended.
October 8, 2025
I enjoyed this author who is a new author for me. A friend recommended this book. Suzanne is a local author (to me) where my friend met her at the annual book festival. This was a solid, smooth, easy read which is what I was looking for. The author told an engaging story about love, family, passion, being honorable, doing the "right thing", fighting for your country and the complexities of all those elements taken together.
I will read another book by Suzanne.
I will read another book by Suzanne.
July 23, 2022
4 writing stars
This was a well written book. The research that went into this story must have been intense. I did not love the characters. I know this book is not a romance but I couldn’t help feel for the character Margaret.
I implore the author to write a story with Margaret’s POV. So many questions.
This was a well written book. The research that went into this story must have been intense. I did not love the characters. I know this book is not a romance but I couldn’t help feel for the character Margaret.
I implore the author to write a story with Margaret’s POV. So many questions.
February 24, 2023
Searching for the truth
Family dynamics are always interesting in so many ways. It’s sort of like Forrest Gump believing that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know just what your going to get. A lot of discovery was made in this family and brought all together to a great end of the story.
Family dynamics are always interesting in so many ways. It’s sort of like Forrest Gump believing that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know just what your going to get. A lot of discovery was made in this family and brought all together to a great end of the story.
July 29, 2025
I loved this book not only because of the story of Kate's search for the history of her father's wartime romance, but also because of the historical information about the German occupation and then American liberation of Nice, France. Kate's discovery of her own family history as well, and her gentle, understanding attitude, make this a comfortable read.
November 24, 2022
Couldn't put it down
Congratulations! What a truly beautiful story. I loved it from start to finish. Two entwined stories told in parallel that come together in the most heart-warming ending :)
Congratulations! What a truly beautiful story. I loved it from start to finish. Two entwined stories told in parallel that come together in the most heart-warming ending :)
December 29, 2022
I had the honor of meeting the lovely author of “What Remains of Love”, Suzanne Trauth, when I purchased her book. All she had to say to me was “…it’s a love story set in WWII…” and I was sold! It’s a wonderfully told story of family, love, and mystery.
February 7, 2024
Seemingly "self" published, there are typos and the story is predictable. I found myself caring more about Daniel and Emilie than either Kate or Yvette. It felt there were peripheral unnecessary characters and occurrences too (DJs heart attack for example). This would be a good beach read
January 20, 2025
What a wonderful story
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It makes you realize you never really know someone else's true story. I highly this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It makes you realize you never really know someone else's true story. I highly this book.
October 24, 2022
Lovely story weaving past and present and the secrets discovered of parents we thought we knew!
November 29, 2022
Book club BFN book written by a friend of a friend. Very well written, a love story that was beautiful but heartbreaking and present day description of areas in France took me back to my recent visit.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews