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Journal Entry 1 by CdnBlueRose from Arvada, Colorado USA on Tuesday, November 29, 2005
 Amazon.com
Joanne Harris's first novel, Chocolat, was set in the sleepy French village of Lansquenet, where enchantment, romance, and soft-centered truths issued from the local confectioner's shop. She returns to the same location for Blackberry Wine. But as the title suggests, she's shifted her focus from food to drink, choosing a half-dozen bottles of homemade plonk as the catalyst for her "layman's alchemy." And even the narrator is no human being but a faintly tannic Fleurie 1962: "A pert, garrulous wine, cheery and little brash, with a pungent taste of blackcurrant!"
There are, of course, some less vinous characters in the novel. Harris's protagonist, Jay Mackintosh, is a former literary star, now sadly stalled. He spends his time writing second-rate science fiction, leading a hollow media life, and drinking: "Not to forget, but to remember, to open up the past and find himself there again." Yet the nice, expensive wines don't do the trick. Instead, six "Specials"--a gift from his old friend Joe--function as Jay's magical elixir. Like Proust's lime-blossom tisane, they give him the gift of his memories but also unlock his future, which encourages him to flee the rut of his London life and buy a house in Lansquenet.
As Jay settles in, he contemplates his childhood friendship with Joe, whose idiosyncratic outlook was the inspiration for his only successful book. Meanwhile, he becomes involved in village life, encountering some familiar faces from Chocolat. Caro and Toinette, the snooty troublemakers, soon put in an appearance, and Josephine, the bar owner and battered wife of the earlier novel, becomes a real friend. But it's a new character, the enigmatic Marise, who becomes the focus of Jay's attention--and who helps to restore his literary joie de vivre. This feat of resurrection makes for a hugely enjoyable read. It also goes one step further in adding Lansquenet to the map of imaginary destinations, where daydreams can come true with intoxicating frequency.
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Journal Entry 8 by ramson at Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Released 2 yrs ago (6/2/2009 UTC) at Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent overseas to an Aussie Book Obsessor. Enjoy!
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Journal Entry 10 by Inappropriate at Green Sage Cafe in Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Released 3 mos ago (2/12/2012 UTC) at Green Sage Cafe in Templestowe, Victoria Australia WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Taking to todays meetup with the lovely ladies of the Templestowe Bookcrossing Group. AWWWW.
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Journal Entry 11 by JoShEL at Templestowe Lower, Victoria Australia on Monday, May 07, 2012
Caught this book at Green Sage, Templestowe a couple of months ago. Finished reading it late late last night after starting it last weekend. A very different book. I felt so warm reading it. I loved it. Maybe not for everyone but definitely for me but hey, I loved 'Chocolat' as well.
To be released next Saturday at Green Sage Cafe, Lower Templestowe, Victoria.
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Blackberry Wine : A Novel
