“A gorgeously intriguing story”How close were Victor Hugo and his copyist?1862 Young widow Eugénie is left bereft when her husband dies suddenly and faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island in his opulent house only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his … Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey born though now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the real father of her child? Tess is keen to find out and returning to the island presents her with the ideal opportunity.
Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.
Book Review
“A gorgeously intriguing story set in a beautiful location. I completely identified with contemporary heroine Tess and Victorian heroine Eugénie, who both became real for me. I was sorry to part company with them both”. Margaret James, Author of ‘The Final Reckoning’.
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Favorite Quotes:
She didn’t like confrontations but her mother thrived on them and not for the first time, Tess questioned why she lived in the same city as her mother… Her father had disappeared to his study soon after she arrived. He referred to it as his ‘strategic withdrawal’.
I am not particularly religious and not in awe of a God who allows so much death and misery to be endured on this earth.
You may be a clever doctor, but I’m not sure how well you understand the workings of the heart.
My Review:
I know I’m more than fashionably late to the party as this was my introduction to The Guernsey Novels series at book seven. I was an instant convert to Anne Allen’s special talents. Her word voodoo is strong as her transportive writing provided effortless travel for me today, and not just in distance, but also in time. I slipped right into this divinely written and evocative tale that covered two active and eventful timelines one-hundred-fifty-years apart. Ms. Allen’s writing was fluid, well-paced, highly engaging, and so vividly detailed it was as if a movie reel was rolling through my cranium as I read. Her characters were worth knowing and held my interest and curiosity with their lives. I was so deeply enamored with the subjects and setting I was compelled to hit Mr. Google and Ms. YouTube for additional info. I despaired on reaching the end and felt rueful in having to leave them behind, but I’m always greedy when it comes to excellent literature. Anne Allen has mad skills and a rabid fangirl.
I have read and loved all of the books in the Guernsey series by Anne Allen, but this was definitely my favourite.
Dual timeline, present day and back to the mid 19th Century, it tells of Victor Hugo’s time on Guernsey.
Such a brilliant read; well written and researched. I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
There is nothing I like better than a great historical fiction novel, and this one didn’t disappoint. And…the icing on the cake is that it’s based on a the talented Victor Hugo! I couldn’t get enough of this book!
The novel is told by two different narrators and in two time periods. Eugenie is from France, but she finds herself all alone in England after losing her husband in a tragic accident. If that wasn’t bad enough, she suffers another tragedy when she is assisted by Victor Hugo himself and his mistress, Juliette Drouet. Little did she know that this would change the course of her life and her descendants.
Tess is a doctor who was born in Guernsey but lives in Exeter after her parents moved her when she and her brother were just children. She is very successful, but she is questioning the direction of her life. When she learns she has inherited her great aunt’s home on Guernsey after her death, she returns and like Eugenie, her life will change course as well.
Both women are strong and didn’t really realize their strength until life forces them to. Both of them just enthralled me. I was just amazed by them. I loved getting to know them.
Of course, what made this book so special as well was the secondary characters, such as Victor Hugo, Juliette, Jack, and even to a certain extent, Doris. In addition, the storyline itself with the secrets and mystery just kept my attention from beginning to end. Anne Allen combined all these elements seamlessly to give her readers one heck of a read!!!!
A fascinating story!
Tess inherits a house on the island of Guernsey from her Aunt Doris at a turning point in her life. She loves her career as a GP, but recent events have caused her to rethink her future and yearn for the island where she spent much of her childhood. The house is in terrible shape but friends on the island refer her to Jack, a building contractor. Tess soon discovers that there is more to like about Jack than just his remodeling skills. While Tess is getting used to her new job on the island and waiting for her home to be livable she pursues her late aunt’s lifelong research into her family’s connection to Victor Hugo with Eugenie, one of her ancestors from the 1800’s, who owned the house Tess inherited.
I really enjoyed the way the author intertwined Eugenie’s history with Tess’s present. The story has romance, good historical reference and characters, and an interesting plot. It was a tale of love and friendship and gave a realistic portrayal of life for women in the 1800’s as well as similarities to their lives today.