MikeDI

I entered a GiveAway for this novel, and although I did not win, was so intrigued by the synopsis that I bought it anyway. I'm very glad I did. I thought this was one amazing novel which, although it was Historical Fiction, read like non-fiction. Kudos to the author for that. 
While I am a student of the era (WWII - hey I can remember a lot about those days even though I was a toddler), I never really thought or knew anything about Eva Braun. All I knew was that she was Hitler's girlfriend. I never even knew that in the end they married. Today, most of what you read about Hitler and Eva Braun, is did they actually survive and escape to South America? I personally think that is gibberish but unfortunately, Russia did the world no favors with their actions involving their remains. 
Back to this story however, my main complaints are too much German language in the book and too much of a contrived ending involving the families. The book was over when the last of Eva's story became known but the author seemed to want to keep it going and came out with many outlandish details to keep us interested. Otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.

What can I say, it's Elizabeth von Arnim, one of my favorite writers. Love her wriitng and this book was no exception.

Okay, I'm not going over the premise as that's done in every review and shouldn't be. I really was disappointed in this read for several reasons. I thought the author was trying to impress the reader with his knowledge of French streets and train stops. The constant intro of new street names was numbing. I mean who cares? I thought many little'instances' were staged for the book and irrelevant to the story, like Tariq taking money back for someone in Algeria. That entire scene's purpose is never explained and seemed inserted to take up space. The entire story seemed contrived and meant to draw parallels between France's actions in WWII and their colonialism in Algeria. I was very disappointed in the ending. Others may enjoy this book, in the end I did not.

I liked the character, Tariq, and thought maybe the author should have told just his story and just forgotten about Hannah, who I thought a bore.

Elizabeth and her friends have become one of the highlights of reading. Her writing style is refreshing and her struggle to have a beautiful garden is enjoyable fare. Using her husband, or Man of Wrath, as a foil introduces a much enjoyable element of humor. Her disdain of guests is understandable as she provides you with a window of her time on Earth.  

I found Elizabeth, based on her biography, to have been a remarkable woman, too short (only 74 years) on this planet. I plan to read as many of her writings as I can.

Note to TA: Sorry, I stopped reading your postings of 'The Solitary Summer,' as mine has not yet arrived and I wanted it to be a fresh read. No offense.  

Sorry, I should have added a photo of Io, not to take anything away from Felix. He's adorable, but looks just like Io except she's a girl.  Is Alabama his partner? He/she looks like my Iris! OMG, we have twins!!! 

Thanks to all of you who turned me on to Elizabeth. Love this book. Did anyone read any follow ups?

** spoiler alert ** First of all, this was a well-written book and a joy to read.
That said, I wanted to point out that I looked for something original but this was merely a connect the dots of all mention of Circe in various Greek Mythology tales, with a few changes. The author picked and chose different tales of Circe and other tales from the ancient authors and put them all in one novel, constructed around a great base story. Kudos to her on that. 
Not mentioned were her other supposed sons or daughter. Here I felt she is painted as not that attractive but in many tales she was considered the opposite. I always thought she might give Helen of Troy some competition.
Unanswered to me was - Who really was Circe? Was she really an offspring of a Greek God, Helios, merely a witch invented for the Odyssey? Or something more? While I'm aware there is no way to really answer that question factually, I was hoping for some new slant on who she might have been, besides being depicted as a sorceress on some deserted island. Because so much was written of her in ancient times by various writers through many tales, I've always felt that maybe she wasn't some mythical goddess but a real person painted into these tales. Just my two pence. By my observations, I in no way mean to cast dispersion on the book, it was an enjoyable read.

Review to Come.

Okay, I didn't heed the posts that said they weren't reading Chapter 7. I, above all, after my 16 year old Maine Coon passed from cancer in 2016, should have skipped that chapter. I didn't and now I've relived those terrible times. Thankfully, back then, my vet knew me well enough to insist I get two rescue cats to ease the pain. She saw that I got them (2 little girl kittens) earlier than what was considered normal and Io and Iris and I bonded  immediately. When my vet saw how they treated me she said there was only one explanation - they love you and look on you as one big cat. The two little girls (now 2 years old and just as loving as when we first met) pulled me into the inner life of cats. Thanks to them I've experienced the complete love of a cat. All the more reason I should have just skipped Chapter 7. It reduced me to tears but Io, my orange tabby, immediately sensed my sorrow and was in my lap giving me head butts.

One chapter to go and I'll write a review. Nothing on Chapter 7 though  

I f3elt this book was pure garbage. In fact I created a file just for it - Garbage. What a waste of time.

** spoiler alert ** First of all this book was not what I expected. I guess I expected a light-hearted romp through Paris to enjoy on my trip to said city. While it was something altogether different, it was well written and kept my attention as it wound through the waterways of southern France. It gave me an exposure to a beautiful country and unforgettable characters.
Spoiler Alert!



It's a book of love, yes, but also sadness.

Once again, I don't talk about what the book is about, that's why there is a back cover and sellers give you their pitch. 
What I liked about this book was several of the main characters and the author's exploration of Ley Lines. I'll probably go for a another book about Blue Sargent, Gansey and Ley Lines in the future when my pile goes down some.

Review to Come after I catch up from my trip.

Review to Come, still trying to catch up from my trip.