"An unforgettable tale of mothers and daughters, of the past and the present, of resisting and succumbing - an extraordinary work of fiction limned with darkness and firece joy."

Mailing to Faeriemyst as part of a reverse wishlist relay.

Received today, thanks so much! :)

In her bestselling and critically acclaimed novel Chocolat, Joanne Harris told a lush story of the conflicts between pleasure and repression. Now she delivers her most complex and sophisticated work yet, an unforgettable tale of mothers and daughters, of the past and the present, of resisting and succumbing--an extraordinary work of fiction limned with darkness and fierce joy.

When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous woman they hold responsible for a tragedy during the German occupation years ago. But the past and present are inextricably entwined, particularly in a scrapbook of recipes and memories that Framboise has inherited from her mother. And soon Framboise will realize that the journal also contains the key to the tragedy that indelibly marked that summer of her ninth year....

Every time I have tried to review this book, my mind has gone blank. I can't explain my thoughts on the book, just that from the first page I was absorbed into it. It was very descriptive and I could just imagine how everything looked, smelled, and tasted like. Even though I don't think Framboise was supposed to be a very likeable character, I still found her sympathetic; you really got a feel for her life and what she was like. The one drawback to this book was the end. You know from the beginning something tragic happened but don't know what exactly does happen until near the end. The only thing that is somewhat of a drawback is that the end seemed rushed and anti-climatic. I did think the very end is sweet and leaves you in a thoughtful state.

Sent to my "Birthday Buddy", Wiley90, today along with The 6 Messiahs by Mark Frost.

Happy Birthday!! :) I hope you enjoy your books!

Thank you, faeriemyst!! The books arrived today. You are most thoughtful!

Joanne Harris skillfully unravels an intricate story. The character's words, actions, and interpretations of events are woven together like a fine tapestry. The writing is so descriptive that the words seem to take shape and walk right off the pages.

Sending this out as a surprise RABCK with a little help from Cliff's Wishlist and rabck.com.

Enjoy!!

What a surprise!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I love surprises and this one came at a really good time! I was expecting yet another bill in the mail today and instead I got a book I've been wanting to read! I read the first couple of paragraphs and I'm already hooked. Can't wait to read the rest!!!!

Really loved this! Not quite as much as Chocolat, but it was definitely memorable! Thanks again for sending it to me!