Literary Friday: Whispering in French

About Whispering in French

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 1, 2017)

Award-winning romance author Sophia Nash makes her women’s fiction debut with a beautifully crafted, funny, and life-affirming story set in the Atlantic seaside region of France, as one woman returns to France to sell her family home and finds an unexpected chance to start over—perfect for fans of Le Divorce and The Little Paris Bookshop.

Home is the last place Kate expected to find herself… As a child, Kate Hamilton was packed off each summer to her grandfather’s ivy-covered villa in southern France. That ancestral home, named Marthe Marie, is now crumbling, and it falls to Kate—regarded as the most responsible and practical member of her family—to return to the rugged, beautiful seaside region to confront her grandfather’s debts and convince him to sell.

Kate makes her living as a psychologist and life coach, but her own life is in as much disarray as Marthe Marie. Her marriage has ended, and she’s convinced that she has failed her teenaged daughter, Lily, in unforgiveable ways. While delving into colorful family history and the consequences of her own choices, Kate reluctantly agrees to provide coaching to Major Edward Soames, a British military officer suffering with post-traumatic stress. Breaking through his shell, and dealing with idiosyncratic locals intent on viewing her as an Americanized outsider, will give Kate new insight into who—and where—she wants to be. The answers will prove as surprising as the secrets that reside in the centuries-old villa.

Witty and sophisticated, rich in history and culture, Sophia Nash’s novel vividly evokes both its idyllic French setting and the universal themes of self-forgiveness and rebuilding in a story as touching as it is wise.

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Photo by Mary Noble Ours

About Sophia Nash

Sophia Nash was born in Switzerland and raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long-held dream of writing, Sophia was an award-winning television producer for a CBS affiliate, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO. She lives in the Washington, D.C., suburbs with her husband and two children. Sophia's novels have won twelve national awards, including the prestigious RITA^®Award, and two spots on Booklist's "Top Ten Romances of the Year." Find out more about Sophia at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.


My Review:

My first thought about this book is how impressed I am with Sophia Nash's writing ability. My favorite thing about this book, even above the story, is Nash's unique voice.  Told from Kate's point of view, her internal monologues throughout the story lends depth and understanding to her complex and well-defined character.  Kate has made some terrible mistakes that almost cost her her daughter. The reasons for said mistakes: always making the safest choice.  She was too scared to take a risk even for the possibility of a better outcome. While in France, Kate finds her courage to risk much for her family's legacy.

The setting of the novel is perfect.  The Basque area of France is rich in history, culture, languages, and lore.  Nash does a remarkable job capturing the atmosphere of this part of the world.  The villa Marthe Marie has been in the du Roque family for centuries, yet it is quite literally teetering on a precipice over the Atlantic and figuratively to the bank.  I love how the villa comes to life in the book.  As an American it fascinates me that a home has belonged to a family longer than my country has existed.

There is another POV in the novel, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers.  It is interspersed throughout the plot, and eventually this additional storyline merges at the climax of the novel.  It brings a smile to my face simply thinking about it.  I do think this storyline was necessary in that it lightened the tone of the book because of the seriousness of the theme: What is the purpose and meaning of life?

I highly recommend Whispering in French.  Sophia Nash is a smart, entertaining storyteller who also makes you think about what's truly important: family, purpose, and courage.

Disclosure:  I received an ARC of Whispering in French from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Until next time...

Happy reading!

Ricki Jill