Amazon.co.uk Review
Joanne Harris weaves spells of "everyday magic" once again in Blackberry Wine. Her previous novel, Chocolat, was a delicious confection, melding together bewitchment and romance in a chocolatier, in the sleepy French village of Lansquenet. This time around six bottles of home-made brew are the catalyst for her "layman's alchemy." The story is even told by a Fleurie 1962: "A pert, garrulous wine, cheery and a little brash, with a pungent taste of blackcurrant!"
Jay Mackintosh, once a literary star, is 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." Nice, expensive wines don't do the trick, it's the six "Specials", a gift from Joe, an old friend, that are the magical elixir. Just like Proust's lime blossom tea, they give him the gift of his memories but also unlock his future; Jay escapes the rut of his London life and buys a house in Lansquenet.

As Jay settles in, he contemplates his childhood friendship with Joe, who made the Specials and whose idiosyncratic outlook on life was the inspiration for his only successful book. Jay becomes involved in village life, meeting up with some familiar characters from Chocolat. Caro and Toinette, the snooty troublemakers, make an appearance and Josephine, the bar owner and battered wife of the earlier novel, becomes a real friend. But it is a new character, the enigmatic Marise that becomes the real focus of his attention. It's the lure of her story that really changes his life, re-ignites the flare of his work.

The book is hugely enjoyable. Joanne Harris' Lansquenet is fast becoming a fairy tale destination, where daydreams become enchantingly possible. Joanne Harris's prose in Blackberry Wine adds to the spell. It's warm and heady, an intoxicating read

Although I have had the majority of Joanne Harris’s previous novels on my bookshelves for a number of years, so far I have only read Chocolat, Coastliners and Gentleman and Players. Now having just finished Blackberry Wine I intend to rectify this and catch up by reading the rest as soon as possible. So far she has proved to be for me a riveting storyteller, somehow making the locations and characters leap from the page. Her descriptions of food and wine so good that you feel you can smell and taste them. I finished this with a glass of wine sitting in the garden this evening and felt transported to Lansquenet, which was also the location for Chocolat. I believe also that some characters reappear in The Lollipop Shoes, receiving a copy of this recently as a gift is the inspiration to read the rest of her novels.
In Blackberry Wine the narrator is a bottle of wine ‘Fleurie 1962’ unfolding the tale of Jay Mackintosh as a boy in 1975 and an adult in 1999, when he impulsively buys an old house in Lanssquenet, France.
In two interlinking narratives we learn how the time he spent as a teenager in Kirby Monckton with his friend an old man Joe, has a subconscious effect on his 1999 choices.

1. SIGN UP for this bookray by sending me a Private Message. Order of participants will be juggled between geography, date of request and shipping limitations. Late additions may be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person before you on the list finishes reading the book, they will send you a Private Message for your postal address. If you no longer wish to read it, or wish to be moved in the list let them (and me!) know and I will move you down/off the list.
3. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
4. WHEN YOU FINISH THE BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
5. CONTINUE THE BOOKRAY by sending a Private Message to the person after you on the bookring list and request their postal address. Please check back here for the latest distribution list. If the person doesn't respond within 7-10 days (use your judgement), please PM the next person, and then me, so I can update the bookray list.
6. END OF THE RAY, The last person on the ray could try and continue the ray or just give/mail the book to someone else who might like to read it, an RABCK perhaps?


Midlifecrisis UK
Suffolk-Barnowl UK
afraberg Netherlands
Melamura Italy
iwanttobeinital Italy
Maireen Italy
Canadian-Babe Italy (last please)

RELEASE NOTES:

En route to the UK to start this Bookray travelling.

Thanks LindyLouMac, this one arrived today. I am full of optimism, having enjoyed Chocolat so much. Thanks for including me.

What a lovely, lovely tale. A bit of magic, which I always love, and.... well, I had better not say any more. A warm, feel good book which made me want to linger instead of my usual tendency to rush through and speed read. Thank you so much Linda for introducing me to this one, which I will probably get my own copy of as a "keeper". I will journal again as soon as it is on its way to the next reader.

The wine is crated, ready for shipment to Suffolk later today.

Shipment of Wine received from Midlifecrisis. looking forward to sampling it after such good journal entries.

Arrived in my mailbox this weekend. Thank you for sending Suffolk-Barnowl!

I love Joanne Harris's books very much, and this is the last in her oeuvre I hadn't read yet.
Thank you LindyLouMac for giving me the oppertunity to read this book!

Another great book by Joanne Harris! I loved it.

Thanks for sharing LindyLouMac! Today I put the book on the mail to Melamura.

this was waiting in my post box on my return from a Bookcrossing lunch yesterday.thankyou afraberg.

This is the first Joanne Harris book I have read and it certainly won't be the last! The story was very well written and very descriptive. Will be on its way to the next reader ASAP. Sorry I've held it up for so long.

I have just got back from a lovely three week trip to the UK - and this book was awaiting me.
Having just finished my last read this will be started forthwith - thanks Melamura for sending it on and thanks LindyLouMac for setting up this bookray 8-))

Just the sort of book I needed for the damp indoor weather we've had lately.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this at first glance but very quickly realised I was wrong.
A nice feel-good book and I could "hear" Joe whenever I read his quoted words.
I'm just checking I have the correct address for Maireen and it will be off to her when I'm next at The Post Office 8-)).

Book arrived safely - thanks iwanttobinital.

Looking forward to reading this - all good reviews.

Sorry to let this book go as I feel I might enjoy it even more second time around. Has there been a film made as with Chocolat also by J Harris?

I can't believe it. After 2 days at work, away from home, I come back and find 4 - I said 4 - packages from BCers around the world sending me books. And one of those packages was from Maireen. Thanks Maireen and LindyLouMac for hosting the bookray. I will definately read and pass the book on. As usual, I'll RABCK it to someone, since it's the way I prefer to make someone smile out there!!

This was the first book I received as a BCer and it being a bookray...and finally I've come around to reading it. I found it was a bit tedious in the beginning, probably because I really don't care for wine. Strange though it is for me being Italian and living in Tuscany...oh well! The book was magical, as I think all of Joanne Harris's tales are.

Congratulations on winning the EU never won a sweeps! Enjoy this book and all the ones you got!

received today, thank you!