“Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this page-turner about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy to study for her Master of Wine test, and uncovers a lost diary, a forgotten relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II.”
This is the first book that I’ve read by Ann Mah and it definitely won’t be the last. This was a fantastic well written novel that takes place in France with a dual time line of present day and the 1940s during WWII. It had mystery, romance and took place in France – what can be better than that?
Usually when books are written with dual time lines, I like one story better than the other. In The Lost Vintage, I found both story lines interesting and intriguing. Helene’s time starts pre-WWII when she was a young girl trying to get a place at the university so she could continue her studies. When the Nazis invade, her plans for education are ended and she stays home to help the family. As time goes on, she becomes involved with the Resistance much to the dismay of her step mother. The present day time line is about Kate, who is studying to become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world. When she goes to France to help her cousins with the wine harvest, she agrees to help clean out the basement. There she finds clues about her Aunt Helene who was never talked about within the family. As she digs deeper into Helene’s story, more mysteries are uncovered and the big question becomes whether Helene was part of the Resistance or a collaborator with the Nazis.
This was a wonderfully well written book and the author did a suburb job of combining historical information along with the story line. I learned a lot about what life was like for people in France during the war, about how the women collaborators were treated at the end of the war and lots about wine. i highly recommend this wonderful novel.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This was a fantastic book! I love how the story was told from two different time periods and two different characters (Kate and Helene). The author did an amazing job describing the time period, the landscape, and (of course) the wine! I had so many different feelings during this book – intrigue, outrage, happiness, and sadness. I highly recommend this book!
Outstanding! I love this book! I didn’t want it to end. I adore the characters and the storyline was refreshing and exciting. This is definitely going into my favorites pile. I very highly recommend!
A gorgeous novel of French food, wine, and a mystery from the past rapidly unraveling. Not only do I love this book, but I loved the experience of reading it. It felt like an adventure and would make for excellent book club discussion. While I know this book will be the perfect gift for the wine aficionados in my life, I don’t know much about wine personally and enjoyed learning about the culture and intricacies of French vineyards through the story. It’s beautifully written and expertly plotted. I couldn’t stop reading and wanted to savor every word.
Deeply engaging historical fiction with contemporary connections. I’ve read it twice, and may read it again.
Loved this book! I learned a little more about the wine makers of France, and reflections on what the people of France went through during the German occupation of WW11
I really liked the combo of French vineyard, family connections, and WWII history. Very enjoyable read!
I enjoyed reading this. It had interesting twists to the plot, with romance, mystery, intrigue as well as historical background. Rey enjoyable read
Favorite Quotes:
I have a constant, nagging undertone of paranoia, like the unrelenting throb of a toothache that I am constantly testing with my tongue.
… Rose’s tragic death still haunted me. I found myself scrutinizing my thoughts, wary I would discover some ingrained bias, some inherent prejudice, some evidence that I was genetically predisposed to moral weakness.
My Review:
Written in my favorite dual POV and spanning dual timelines, this engagingly written yet angsty book presented a major challenge. I struggled with the harsh, tense, and oppressive conditions Helene endured before and during WWII, which began long before the German arrived as she suffered a vile and petty stepmother who was prone to selfish behaviors and duplicity. I equally resented her weak father and his neglect in turning a blind eye. I ground my teeth and seethed and then the German’s arrived and the tension continued to steadily ratchet up the scale, and I began to bite my cuticles.
Despite constant and steady efforts, my perusal seemed to advance in tiny increments. My reading appeared to be markedly slower than usual as I often needed to pause and look up unfamiliar French words or Google several delectable sounding and savory tidbits which threatened to derail my dieting efforts. And that is not to mention the wine – oh, the wine!
I quickly fell into Ms. Mah’s vortex, her emotive and insightfully observant writing sucked me right in and bedeviled me thereafter. Her alternating storylines were slowly paced, taut with anxiety, and fraught with peril. Both storylines were sweeping and epically pieced together while the writing was lushly descriptive, highly evocative, and heart-squeezing. In addition to Helene’s WWII experiences, an equally compelling tale was also unraveling in the present-day timeline for Helene’s great-niece, who seemed to have the erroneous impression in her understanding of family history. Poor Helene, she seemed to have been given the wrong end of the stick in both periods.
I LOVED this book. It has everything – history, mystery, romance – and is so well written. I learned so much, but also just enjoyed following these wonderful characters on their journeys through time.
While visiting her cousin in Burgundy, a sommelier discovers a secret cellar, a lost diary and a photo taken in the 1930’s with an unidentified young woman. The setting takes place at a vineyard that has been in the same family for decades. It is the centerpiece of the story, with the wine pressing festival (Fête de la Pressé), a mystery that reaches back to WWII during occupied France, and a discovery of vintage wine. Wonderful storytelling and beautifully narrated (audio version).
Great book about family and their support for each other. Looking for very valuable wine that was hidden from the Nazis
I really enjoyed this read – an different twist on the Resistance
The combination of a present day story line with the background of WWII stories.
The historical flashes add great depth to the present events.
What a terrific read.
Sad, but redemptive.
Beautifully done.
This book explores a different aspect of WW2. It touches on the Resistance, Collaboration and the plight of the people of Burgundy regarding their wines.
Well-written, my family is from Burgundy (my name is Bourgoin which means from Burgundy) so it was interesting to read about the province.
Besides being a good story, there was lots of information about wine making and wine tasting. I enjoyed this book immensely.
Interesting expose on real-people affected by WWII.
Very good! Besides the historical part of WWII, there is the information about viticulture – great!
What a great book. I have never read a book by Ann Mah but I will read her books again. She made me feel just like I was right there in the vineyards with them and and with the family during WWII during all the suffering. Thank you for such a great book Ann!