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Amandine
Marlena de Blasi, the acclaimed author of such delectable memoirs as A Thousand Days in Venice and That Summer in Sicily, now brings her luminous prose to the world of fiction with this remarkable debut novel. Set against the backdrop of Europe as it moves inexorably toward World War II, Amandine follows a young orphan’s journey in search of her heritage.
The story opens in Krakow in 1931, as a baby girl is conceived out of wedlock, the byproduct of a foolish heart and a tragic inheritance. The child’s grandmother, a countess, believes that she is protecting her daughter when she claims that the baby didn’t survive. In truth, however, she deposits the infant at a remote convent in the French countryside, leaving her with a great sum of money and in the care of a young governess named Solange.
Solange takes it upon herself to give the child a distinctive name, Amandine, and the two form a special bond. But even Solange’s unconditional love cannot protect her charge. Mistrusted by both the abbess and the convent girls, the unusually astute and curious Amandine finds her childhood filled with challenges and questions: Who is she? Where does she come from?
Eventually, Solange is forced to choose between the terrors of the convent and those of a global war looming outside its doors. Thus, with a purse full of worthless francs and a sack of provisions, the two flee north toward Solange’s childhood home. But what should have been a two-day journey by train becomes a perilous, years-long odyssey across Occupied France—and deeper into the treacheries of war.
Tracing the flight of Amandine and Solange while peering into the lives of the countess and her daughter, Amandine’s mother, who still mourns and dreams of the child she thinks she lost forever, Marlena de Blasi’s epic novel winds its way toward a dramatic and compelling conclusion, as mother and daughter draw ever nearer. Amandine is a sumptuous tale of identity and survival, persistent hope and unexpected love.
The story opens in Krakow in 1931, as a baby girl is conceived out of wedlock, the byproduct of a foolish heart and a tragic inheritance. The child’s grandmother, a countess, believes that she is protecting her daughter when she claims that the baby didn’t survive. In truth, however, she deposits the infant at a remote convent in the French countryside, leaving her with a great sum of money and in the care of a young governess named Solange.
Solange takes it upon herself to give the child a distinctive name, Amandine, and the two form a special bond. But even Solange’s unconditional love cannot protect her charge. Mistrusted by both the abbess and the convent girls, the unusually astute and curious Amandine finds her childhood filled with challenges and questions: Who is she? Where does she come from?
Eventually, Solange is forced to choose between the terrors of the convent and those of a global war looming outside its doors. Thus, with a purse full of worthless francs and a sack of provisions, the two flee north toward Solange’s childhood home. But what should have been a two-day journey by train becomes a perilous, years-long odyssey across Occupied France—and deeper into the treacheries of war.
Tracing the flight of Amandine and Solange while peering into the lives of the countess and her daughter, Amandine’s mother, who still mourns and dreams of the child she thinks she lost forever, Marlena de Blasi’s epic novel winds its way toward a dramatic and compelling conclusion, as mother and daughter draw ever nearer. Amandine is a sumptuous tale of identity and survival, persistent hope and unexpected love.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2010
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694 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
May 18, 2010
I was so looking forward to this novel and it is with much disappointment that I write this.. It stank. I do have one good thing to say about it before I start my litany of complaints tho. The heroine, Amandine, is endearing and likeable. The story begins with her as a baby with a heart problem and follows her as she grows up in a nunnery wondering who her parents were and living way past everyone's expectations.
However, the writing style is terrible. First of all, it is written in present tense as tho it is happening right NOW. Second, the characters constantly go into "thought monologues" and these monologues are vague, confusing, boring, and go on for pages and all in italics. Third, the narrative and style suddenly switches (for the better I think) in part four. All of a sudden, it is first person POV, past tense, and not even from Amandine's perspective. I like the style of part four better, but to suddenly switch like that.. It doesn't work.
I read an arc and I have no idea what the finished copy looks like, but this could use a lot of improvements.
However, the writing style is terrible. First of all, it is written in present tense as tho it is happening right NOW. Second, the characters constantly go into "thought monologues" and these monologues are vague, confusing, boring, and go on for pages and all in italics. Third, the narrative and style suddenly switches (for the better I think) in part four. All of a sudden, it is first person POV, past tense, and not even from Amandine's perspective. I like the style of part four better, but to suddenly switch like that.. It doesn't work.
I read an arc and I have no idea what the finished copy looks like, but this could use a lot of improvements.
March 15, 2012
I won on GR's give-a-ways and was a bit disappointed. The synopsis was interesting, the book was not. It was a bit hard to follow, since the narrator changed often, and it was a bit confusing as to who was thinking and when someone was speaking.
This is the story of Amandine, a girl who was taken to a convent to be raised. Amandine at age 5 finds that she is an orphan and wants to find her mother. Set in 1930-1940's during World War II, there is some wartime details and how it must have been to live in Europe during that era. Amandine is a lovable character, she just can not seem to get a break in life. Much tragedy follows her. I could not help feeling sorry for her with the hopes that there would be a happy ending, and that she would find her mother.
I would have liked to rate this book higher, but it just did not read as I thought it would. A nice story line that did keep me reading in the hopes it would get better.
This is the story of Amandine, a girl who was taken to a convent to be raised. Amandine at age 5 finds that she is an orphan and wants to find her mother. Set in 1930-1940's during World War II, there is some wartime details and how it must have been to live in Europe during that era. Amandine is a lovable character, she just can not seem to get a break in life. Much tragedy follows her. I could not help feeling sorry for her with the hopes that there would be a happy ending, and that she would find her mother.
I would have liked to rate this book higher, but it just did not read as I thought it would. A nice story line that did keep me reading in the hopes it would get better.
June 15, 2010
Amandine was a novel full of magical words in an unsettling time in Europe's history. The story centers around a baby left at a French convent with no trace left of her past. Raised as an orphan, she has to surpass a childhood full of trials all the while longing for the mother she never had the chance to get to know. Though World War 2's effects rage through France, she sets out on a journey with her caretaker to find her family, but this itself is no easy task. This part of the novel takes the reader through a dangerous and beautiful part of France.
Her words and the general sense throughout the novel evoke a dark and rich world, and I intimately felt the setting. The characters were all well written and fascinating, if not slightly exaggerated.
I didn't think it was confusing to understand who was the person speaking when the text was in italics because I felt it was obvious through context. I did read the advanced uncorrected proofs through a firstreads giveaway, so I expect all the typos and confusion have been corrected.
Her understanding and description of the culture and the scenery made me want to read de Blasi's travel memoirs, but I'm impressed by her first fiction writing.
Her words and the general sense throughout the novel evoke a dark and rich world, and I intimately felt the setting. The characters were all well written and fascinating, if not slightly exaggerated.
I didn't think it was confusing to understand who was the person speaking when the text was in italics because I felt it was obvious through context. I did read the advanced uncorrected proofs through a firstreads giveaway, so I expect all the typos and confusion have been corrected.
Her understanding and description of the culture and the scenery made me want to read de Blasi's travel memoirs, but I'm impressed by her first fiction writing.
August 16, 2021
„Amandine” oczarowała mnie swoim klimatem; nieco tajemniczym i mrocznym, pachnącym francuskim krajobrazem.
Natomiast nie podobało mi się idealizowanie głównej bohaterki - tytułowej Amandine. Od początku do końca była dzieckiem idealnym, wyróżniała się życiową inteligencją, opanowaniem, altruizmem i błyskotliwym językiem - i nie byłoby w tym niczego złego, gdyby nie drażniąca nierealność jej zachowań jak na dziecko w tak młodym wieku. Styl pisania także nie przypadł mi do gustu. Zabieg wrzucenia czytelnika w środek historii, a następnie stopniowe tłumaczenie faktów z przeszłości, zamiast wzbudzać ciekawość wywoływał zagubienie. Język momentami ocierał się o poetyzm, jednak często był w nim kanciasty i bezbarwny.
Na pewno nie była to zła historia - wojenne realia i pięknie rozkwitające relacje między bohaterami były bez zarzutów, a sama powieść naprawdę wciągająca. Jednak pod pewnymi względami okazała się być rozczarowaniem. I to tymi, w które pokładałam największe nadzieje.
Natomiast nie podobało mi się idealizowanie głównej bohaterki - tytułowej Amandine. Od początku do końca była dzieckiem idealnym, wyróżniała się życiową inteligencją, opanowaniem, altruizmem i błyskotliwym językiem - i nie byłoby w tym niczego złego, gdyby nie drażniąca nierealność jej zachowań jak na dziecko w tak młodym wieku. Styl pisania także nie przypadł mi do gustu. Zabieg wrzucenia czytelnika w środek historii, a następnie stopniowe tłumaczenie faktów z przeszłości, zamiast wzbudzać ciekawość wywoływał zagubienie. Język momentami ocierał się o poetyzm, jednak często był w nim kanciasty i bezbarwny.
Na pewno nie była to zła historia - wojenne realia i pięknie rozkwitające relacje między bohaterami były bez zarzutów, a sama powieść naprawdę wciągająca. Jednak pod pewnymi względami okazała się być rozczarowaniem. I to tymi, w które pokładałam największe nadzieje.
abandoned
June 5, 2020I won this book as my first GoodReads First-Read book and was so excited to read it. But I was sorely disappointed in it. First, the good: the characters were well-written. Their motivation was easily understood. They were not caricatures, only 'good guys' and 'bad guys'- they were multi-faceted. Also, the basic plot was, while not exactly unique, interesting enough to have caught my eye to begin with. And if the writing had been better, the story would have held my interest.
Now, the bad: the first thing that started to bother me was that it was written in what I can only describe as 'real-time', as if the action were taking place as you read. As in, 'She takes a step' or 'He turns his head'. That got annoying quickly. Also, the characters would go off on these long, wandering soliloquies to themselves that added very little to the story. I'm always interested in what a character is thinking, but the author just didn't know when to stop. And finally, the part about is not entertainment in my book. The whole book was uneven and had too many slow parts. I will not be reading it again or seeking out other books by this author.
Now, the bad: the first thing that started to bother me was that it was written in what I can only describe as 'real-time', as if the action were taking place as you read. As in, 'She takes a step' or 'He turns his head'. That got annoying quickly. Also, the characters would go off on these long, wandering soliloquies to themselves that added very little to the story. I'm always interested in what a character is thinking, but the author just didn't know when to stop. And finally, the part about is not entertainment in my book. The whole book was uneven and had too many slow parts. I will not be reading it again or seeking out other books by this author.
October 7, 2013
This was a sweet story with some interesting characters and a hapoy ending with room for a sequel.
didn-t-finish
August 16, 2017The premise was interesting but I read first 50 pages and the writing style really isn't for me. I may come back to it some day, if I change my mind, however for now it's "dnf".
June 1, 2010
It was hard to get into this book, but I really did like it at the end! The beginning is confusing because the author expresses thoughts of individuals in italics. Whan you begin you don't know whose thoughts you are following. When you come to know the different characters there is no difficulty knowing whose thoughts are being projected. I wasn't until the last 3/4 of the book that I could understand why the author chose to use this technique. It is the thoughts of the characters that play a central role in the book. If a reader does not like such an introspective approach, I would not recommend this book to them. It is hard to find one quote to explain this because you have to know the people to completely understand, but I think the following does illustrate the introspective nature central to the book:
"So fickle are the convent girls, how can she know what word or action of hers might relight the antipathy? Further, she reasons Paul is constant. Her hate hurts more, but Amandine can count on it. So who is the greater foe, and how can one tell? And what if one can't? The mystery swims and dives and leaps about in her, and she thinks it might continue to do so for some time. Perhaps forever. No, it is hardly the bonhomie that pleases Amandine the most but rather two other spoils of the evening: the first is the thought that she might not be wicked after all and the other a sentiment more difficult to comprehend and to name, is the beginning of her understanding of her own grit"
Furthemore there is a subdued atmosphere to the entire book. There is a distance between the reader and the characters. Not only the "thoughts" but also the descriptive style chosen by the author reinforce this aspect. Another quote:
"Along our route we find burned farmhouses, new graves. Slaughtered animals. Silence. The hoche take the wheat and the potatoes from the field, fruit from the trees, wine from the cellars, they take horses and petrol and autos. They take women when they can. Mostly they can. They leave the lavender along the paths to the farmhouse doors though. And the rosebushes. Gentleman conquistadors. And what the hoche don't take the French keep. To themselves. Go away. All those hissed voices from behind the wide warped doors of the landed gentry. From behind the toile de Jouy drapes of the bourgeoise in the towns. Go away.
The narrator in this instant is omniscient. The author changes who is speaking to fit the message to be conveyed. Particularly in the beginning this feels uncomfortable, but it enhances the mood and fits the message conveyed. It takes awhile to get use to this! I liked it in the end. The author uses many French words. Not all are translated. If you know French you will enjoy this.
The plot is filled with action, but always the telling is distant. There is an emotional barrier put up between the characters and the readers and only at the end do you feel you have torn the barrier down. Without the resistance, you wouldn't feel the accomplishment you do if when you feel you truly know the characters.
The very, very best of the book, and it is utterly heart-wrenching, is Amandine's travels through occupied France! For me this depiction of the French people's struggles under German occupation was brought vividly to life. Exceptionally well done! All the small mundane details of the French people's suffering. The author has a talent for describing the beauty of a meal, of freshly baked bread, of fresh produce. Such descriptions felt very wonderful to people who had little enjoyment in their lives. The enjoyment of such bread or a stew or a fragrant jam brought happiness in the dismal despair of the times.
What Amandine lived through from her birth to her teens is brought poignantly to life. My difficulties with this book at the beginning were well worth fighting to reach the end. The beginning felt like a two star book, the end a four star book. My heart wants to give this four stars, but my head says average the two and four to a three star. That is what I have done! I may go back later and change it to four stars.... Read this book to learn about this wonderful little girl Amandine and to better understand France during its occupation during WW2. I also very much liked the ending!
Thank you Tara for sening this to me!
I am reading this simply because I adored That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story by the same author. Also I like stories that take place in France! I am a bit worried b/c this book is pure fiction, while the other wasn't. I think it is harder to write pure fiction as convincingly as that which depicts real life experiences. Actually I rarely read several books by the same author. I prefer testing new authors, but in this case I simply HAD to try another. Will it be as good? Tara didn't like this at all........ but each reader has different likes and dislikes!
"So fickle are the convent girls, how can she know what word or action of hers might relight the antipathy? Further, she reasons Paul is constant. Her hate hurts more, but Amandine can count on it. So who is the greater foe, and how can one tell? And what if one can't? The mystery swims and dives and leaps about in her, and she thinks it might continue to do so for some time. Perhaps forever. No, it is hardly the bonhomie that pleases Amandine the most but rather two other spoils of the evening: the first is the thought that she might not be wicked after all and the other a sentiment more difficult to comprehend and to name, is the beginning of her understanding of her own grit"
Furthemore there is a subdued atmosphere to the entire book. There is a distance between the reader and the characters. Not only the "thoughts" but also the descriptive style chosen by the author reinforce this aspect. Another quote:
"Along our route we find burned farmhouses, new graves. Slaughtered animals. Silence. The hoche take the wheat and the potatoes from the field, fruit from the trees, wine from the cellars, they take horses and petrol and autos. They take women when they can. Mostly they can. They leave the lavender along the paths to the farmhouse doors though. And the rosebushes. Gentleman conquistadors. And what the hoche don't take the French keep. To themselves. Go away. All those hissed voices from behind the wide warped doors of the landed gentry. From behind the toile de Jouy drapes of the bourgeoise in the towns. Go away.
The narrator in this instant is omniscient. The author changes who is speaking to fit the message to be conveyed. Particularly in the beginning this feels uncomfortable, but it enhances the mood and fits the message conveyed. It takes awhile to get use to this! I liked it in the end. The author uses many French words. Not all are translated. If you know French you will enjoy this.
The plot is filled with action, but always the telling is distant. There is an emotional barrier put up between the characters and the readers and only at the end do you feel you have torn the barrier down. Without the resistance, you wouldn't feel the accomplishment you do if when you feel you truly know the characters.
The very, very best of the book, and it is utterly heart-wrenching, is Amandine's travels through occupied France! For me this depiction of the French people's struggles under German occupation was brought vividly to life. Exceptionally well done! All the small mundane details of the French people's suffering. The author has a talent for describing the beauty of a meal, of freshly baked bread, of fresh produce. Such descriptions felt very wonderful to people who had little enjoyment in their lives. The enjoyment of such bread or a stew or a fragrant jam brought happiness in the dismal despair of the times.
What Amandine lived through from her birth to her teens is brought poignantly to life. My difficulties with this book at the beginning were well worth fighting to reach the end. The beginning felt like a two star book, the end a four star book. My heart wants to give this four stars, but my head says average the two and four to a three star. That is what I have done! I may go back later and change it to four stars.... Read this book to learn about this wonderful little girl Amandine and to better understand France during its occupation during WW2. I also very much liked the ending!
Thank you Tara for sening this to me!
I am reading this simply because I adored That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story by the same author. Also I like stories that take place in France! I am a bit worried b/c this book is pure fiction, while the other wasn't. I think it is harder to write pure fiction as convincingly as that which depicts real life experiences. Actually I rarely read several books by the same author. I prefer testing new authors, but in this case I simply HAD to try another. Will it be as good? Tara didn't like this at all........ but each reader has different likes and dislikes!
December 21, 2018
I really became hooked on this story. It was the audio version and the narrators kept my interest. Maybe this is why some of the other ratings are low. Perhaps it's easier to listen to than to read. I gave it 5 stars even though I found the ending too abrupt. I'd like to know more about Amandine. I also intend to find the print version, to compare with the audio version but also because I really liked the story.
July 20, 2014
In Krakow in 1931, a baby girl is conceived out of wedlock. The child’s grandmother, a countess, believes that she is protecting her daughter when she claims that the baby didn’t survive. In truth, the countess deposits the infant at a remote convent in the French countryside, leaving her with a great sum of money and in the care of a young governess named Solange. Solange names the baby Amandine, and they form a special bond. But even Solange’s love cannot protect Amandine from the disdain of the abbess and the convent girls. Eventually Solange and Amandine set out for Solange’s childhood home in northern France. But what should have been a two-day journey becomes a years-long odyssey across Occupied France.
I found this novel slow to start. DeBlasi gives us considerable emotional background on Amandine’s grandmother (the countess) and the reasoning she uses to convince herself she is doing the right thing, the ONLY thing she can in these circumstances. The narrator changed from chapter to chapter, and internal dialogue was printed in italics, which I found distracting when used for several pages in a row. However, once the characters were well established and Amandine began to show her own personality as a young child I got caught up in her story.
The shame and secrecy of illegitimacy was a heavy burden in this era, and unfortunately, it was frequently laid on the shoulders of the innocent child. Whether it was because they truly believed it in her best interests, or because they feared the money would be cut off, the abbess and bishop conspired to keep any clue as to her origins from Amandine.
War is not pretty and deBlasi does nothing to soften the horrors of the years – deprivation, cold, hunger, fear. Still, despite no encouragement and downright demands that she forget about her unknown family, the child clings to the hope that her mother will somehow find her and they will be reunited. Amandine also exhibits a rare grace and dignity for one so young. How she manages to hold her head high despite all the terrors visited up on her in the convent and on the run is beyond me. To say that she is treated cruelly is an understatement; one scene in particular is very distressing. And she has an amazing capacity to forgive. She seems to intuit the motives, fears, and dreams of the adults around her and accept their actions as necessary, forgiving them for not being able to see another way.
About half-way through the book I had an inkling of how it might end. I was close. But deBlasi’s ending is both abrupt and inconclusive. This is the author’s only novel; her other works are nonfiction. I wonder if she is working on a sequel to this book.
I found this novel slow to start. DeBlasi gives us considerable emotional background on Amandine’s grandmother (the countess) and the reasoning she uses to convince herself she is doing the right thing, the ONLY thing she can in these circumstances. The narrator changed from chapter to chapter, and internal dialogue was printed in italics, which I found distracting when used for several pages in a row. However, once the characters were well established and Amandine began to show her own personality as a young child I got caught up in her story.
The shame and secrecy of illegitimacy was a heavy burden in this era, and unfortunately, it was frequently laid on the shoulders of the innocent child. Whether it was because they truly believed it in her best interests, or because they feared the money would be cut off, the abbess and bishop conspired to keep any clue as to her origins from Amandine.
War is not pretty and deBlasi does nothing to soften the horrors of the years – deprivation, cold, hunger, fear. Still, despite no encouragement and downright demands that she forget about her unknown family, the child clings to the hope that her mother will somehow find her and they will be reunited. Amandine also exhibits a rare grace and dignity for one so young. How she manages to hold her head high despite all the terrors visited up on her in the convent and on the run is beyond me. To say that she is treated cruelly is an understatement; one scene in particular is very distressing. And she has an amazing capacity to forgive. She seems to intuit the motives, fears, and dreams of the adults around her and accept their actions as necessary, forgiving them for not being able to see another way.
About half-way through the book I had an inkling of how it might end. I was close. But deBlasi’s ending is both abrupt and inconclusive. This is the author’s only novel; her other works are nonfiction. I wonder if she is working on a sequel to this book.
June 14, 2010
Amandine is the first novel written by Marlena de Blasi, an author known for her memoir writing. The story is captivating and the author’s writing is simply beautiful, filled with sense details and unforgettable characters. Amandine is born out of wedlock into an aristocratic family in Krakow, Poland in 1931. She is born with a heart defect and not expected to survive. Under the pretext of bringing her to a hospital in Switzerland, Amandine’s grandmother brings her to a remote convent in France. The Countess arranges to leave the child at the convent with a large sum of money and in the care of a governess, Solange Jouffroi. As a young child, Amandine is doted on by the nuns, Pere Philippe and Solange, but suffers cruelty and humiliation at the hands of the Abbess Mother Paul and the other children attending school at the convent. This cruelty, compounded by the abandonment by her mother, causes Amandine to believe there is something wrong with her. After a tragedy involving Amandine is barely averted, Solange takes her on a harrowing journey north through occupied France toward the governess’s home. Leaving their sheltered life in the convent, the pair discovers the horrors of war all around them. Meanwhile, Amandine’s birth mother, having just recently discovered that her child did not die at the hospital in Switzerland, has begun her own journey to find her. This is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve read it.
September 30, 2018
Beautifully written with an amazing story including parallel storylines that were done perfectly. The imagery and overall emotion portrayed throughout the book was just so enthralling as a reader, with twists popping up here and there not to be overly thrilling, which wouldn't work in this book, but simply to move the story forward. It was just such an overall solid and fulfilling read. The ending was the only thing I felt a little negative about, as I feel as it could've been extended a bit longer but, even at that point, I would probably still want to know more of the characters futures. The author has certainly created a world within is book where you crave to know more about the characters. Highly recommended to most fiction readers, but especially to those that like historical fiction.
July 5, 2010
I borrowed a friend's advance uncorrected proof that she won here on Firstreads. Despite a lot of dark content, the story is just beautiful. I loved Amandine and the relationship between her and Solange. The author's writing style fit so nicely with the story, too. The prose is lovely, and somehow the whole story seems a little distant to the reader, almost surreal, which helped me get through some of the tougher moments. If not for that distance, I surely would have been crying at several different times. I highly recommend this, and will probably even go buy the final version. Can't wait for more novels from this author.
May 14, 2018
Funny that there are so many low ratings. I found this book engaging and interesting. The switching of points of view, the thought monologues and the changing tenses made this book more interesting than if it had been a straight third-person-past type novel.
I enjoyed the way the characters were built up, though the male characters were very 2-dimensional. Especially when compared to the female characters who were for the most part, complex and detailed. Worth reading again and sharing.
I enjoyed the way the characters were built up, though the male characters were very 2-dimensional. Especially when compared to the female characters who were for the most part, complex and detailed. Worth reading again and sharing.
July 8, 2011
At first the book was very hard to read. It was confusing as to which person was speaking and there was a lot of background information about the characters. After about 70 pages the story became interesting and I was glad I kept with it. Heartwarming story about an infant girl who is sent to a convent to be raised and wants to find her Mother.
May 27, 2011
This historical fiction was a surprise... I liked it! Based on true people/events, it's a sad, yet endearing story. I won this copy from Goodreads, and am glad I did. I might not have read it otherwise.
April 10, 2015
Library hardcover
January 4, 2022
Smutna opowieść osadzona w realiach II. Wojny Światowej. Powieść o przyjaźni, miłości (nie tej romantycznej) i strachu.
Szczerze mówiąc, kilkakrotnie wzruszyłam się, czytając "Amandine".
Szczerze mówiąc, kilkakrotnie wzruszyłam się, czytając "Amandine".
October 17, 2017
I really disliked this book. It had potential to be an interesting historical novel. Some of the characters had the potential to be interesting but they weren't given enough space. The story was too piecemeal and didn't focus enough on any one character. It slipped too often into schlocky and superficial characters and tropes. Some of it was quite offensive, content warning (s/assault) for the spoilers: I do not recommend.
April 27, 2019
Beautiful book set in France during WW2, it deals with the grand daughter of Polish Countess who makes the baby "disappear" because of the stigma attached to her birth. Growing up in a sheltered convent, her only real protector is a French country girl by the name of Solange, who is her paid keeper. As she grows, there are privations associated with convent life, & the Mother Superior who hates her for no real reason. After a horrific experience at the hand of one of the elderly sisters, Solange takes Amandine & leaves the convent to travel to her home city of Avises, to raise her among her family. The adventures they meet & the people they meet along the way are sweet, & sometimes stark given the horrors of war. All this time, Amandine looks for her real mother, once she realizes she has one.
February 26, 2018
I have groused about this before, but I really hate it when the ending to a book is ambiguous. In this book, shortly before WWII, an infant girl is left with a convent in France, because the baby's royal Polish grandmother doesn't want her family's name to be ruined by this "tragedy." The first half of the book details the baby's growing up in the convent (not a pleasurable experience) and the second half occurs when young Amandine and her guardian leave the convent to head to the guardian's mothers house. What should have been a 2-day train trip turns into several years as the war closes in around them. It's appalling the amount of tragedy one little girl goes through. It could have ended happily but then there's that ambiguous ending......
May 28, 2017
It had so much potential, but writing style is distracting and the end was very disappointing. I was shocked also, by an event towards the last part of the book. I almost did not want to finish the book, but thought surely the author would give Amandine a happy ending or at least a satisfying ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2019
Disappointed. Wanted to like this book but I didn’t. Going back and forth with the italics to let us know what characters were thinking was annoying. The last part of book got interesting but in the end it was disappointing.
January 10, 2021
I found this story captivating with views of the French countryside and exquisite character development along with a novel long mystery. One short evening a silly party is seen in contrast to the horrors of war.
January 23, 2022
I loved this story; characters will stay with me for a long while. A lot of words I had to stop & look up (some French, Polish & in general) & it changed narrative styles but I could put that aside for the engrossing story that it was.
November 4, 2018
Deemed an illegitimate child by her royal Polish family, Amandine is abandoned as a baby at a French convent. As she grows, Amandine struggles to accept her orphaned state.
June 8, 2019
Pretty good. Characters and plot were a bit flat. Predictable.
January 1, 2024
It is amazing, what à story. Honestly do not understand how could anyone give it less than 5 stars. Everything à good book should be and more.
April 6, 2025
A young orphans journey to find her heritage.
February 23, 2020
3and 1/2 stars
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