Chateau of Secrets

Chateau of Secrets

Author: Melanie Dobson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-05-13

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 1476746125

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A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past. Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France. But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well—while harboring the resistance fighters right below their feet. Taking in a Jewish friend’s baby, she convinces the Nazis that it is her child, ultimately risking everything for the future of the child. When the German officers begin to suspect her deception, an unlikely hero rescues both her and the child. A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Sauver, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives that were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover… With emotion and intrigue, Melanie Dobson brings World War II France to life in this beautiful novel about war, family, sacrifice, and the secrets of the past.


Summer at the French Olive Grove

Summer at the French Olive Grove

Author: Sophie Claire

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 2021-05-27

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1529349966

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**Sophie Claire's sparkling new romance novel, This Christmas in Paris, is available to pre-order now!** Could love be the biggest adventure of all? Filmmaker Lily's life is all about work and adventure. So when she suffers an accident on her travels and finds herself recuperating in the quiet French seaside village where she spent her childhood, she can't wait to escape. Not least because Olivier - Lily's childhood friend and former crush, who she has spent the last thirteen years avoiding - is staying next door . . . Strong-minded baker Olivier is happily settled in St Pierre, preparing to marry and put down roots. But Lily's return to the village risks turning his carefully-laid plans upside-down, and as the pair rediscover their familiar rivalry and fun, sparks fly. Is Lily really as fearless and independent as she seems on the surface - or is she just running from the past? And what if Olivier is the only one who can teach her what it really means to be brave? *** Readers love Summer at the French Olive Grove! 'Romantic . . . heartwarming and uplifting' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review 'The perfect summery read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review 'Heartwarming, humorous and heartbreaking' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review 'Glorious setting . . . you can almost feel the warm sunshine on your skin' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review 'A stunning story . . . heart, love, loss and a delightful cast of characters' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review


The Women of Chateau Lafayette

The Women of Chateau Lafayette

Author: Stephanie Dray

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2022-03-15

Total Pages: 593

ISBN-13: 1984802135

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The USA Today Bestseller! Recommended by Oprah Magazine ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ PopSugar ∙ SheReads ∙ Parade ∙ and more! An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy. Most castles are protected by men. This one by women. A founding mother... 1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband, the Marquis de Lafayette’s political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come. A daring visionary... 1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing—not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France firsthand, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what's right. A reluctant resistor... 1940. French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan's self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become. Intricately woven and powerfully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we take from those who came before us.


A Year in the Château

A Year in the Château

Author: Sarah Long

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre Ltd.

Published: 2020-03-05

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1785764772

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The hilarious and feel-good novel about escaping the rat race, friendship and new beginnings When Nicola's husband, Dominic, retires they decide not to spend their days finding hobbies to fill the time until Countdown is on channel 4. Instead, they fulfil their life-long fantasy of buying a house in the French countryside and filling it with their dearest friends. Reliving their youth and spending their children's inheritance. Joined by seven of their friends they club together to invest in a château in Normandy. Group dinners, fine wine, beautiful scenery - they're living the dream! But la vie en rose is harder than it first appears. Is there a reason why only teenagers take gap years? The perfect read for fans of Jo Thomas, Cathy Bramley and Veronica Henry!


A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2

A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2

Author: George Saintsbury

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2020-08-12

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 3752424109

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Reproduction of the original: A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 by George Saintsbury


Summer at the Château

Summer at the Château

Author: Jennifer Bohnet

Publisher: Boldwood Books Ltd

Published: 2021-05-13

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1838890912

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'A lovely, uplifting, summery read. ' Bestselling author, Lisa Hobman 'A wonderful summer read. It had everything - romance, family, forgiveness and second chances. Highly recommended!' Bestselling author, Alison Sherlock Every end has a new beginning... When Pixie Sampson's husband tragically dies, she inherits the beautiful Château Quiltu in Brittany, Northern France. But unbeknown to her, she also inherits a mysterious lodger, Justine Martin and her 4-year-old son Ferdie. Heartbroken and with her adventurous Mum, Gwen in tow, they travel to France to put the Château on the market but are soon drawn into a quest to seek the Château's secrets. Who is Justine? Why is she living at the Château? How did she know her husband? Over the Summer months, the Château fills with family and laughter and secrets are discovered and old wounds begin to heal. Escape to the Château with top 10 international bestseller Jennifer Bohnet, for an uplifting story of family, love and second chances. What readers are saying about Summer at the Château: 'This book was a wonderful story full of likeable characters, grief, forgiveness, family, new beginnings, and second chances.' 'An uplifting and wise tale.' 'Emotional and realistic, a wonderful read.' 'A feel good read, dealing mainly with themes as forgiveness, family and second chances.' 'A very well written book, set in a beautiful and superbly described location.' 'I really do think each one of Jennifer’s books I read becomes my new favourite.' If you are looking for your next read to give you that escape from reality, lockdown and life with Covid, that I think we all need right now, this is one for you.'


Celebrations at the Chateau

Celebrations at the Chateau

Author: Jo Thomas

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2021-09-02

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1473573637

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'So good I could almost taste it. Magnifique!' Milly Johnson 'Fun, food, love and France, what more can anyone want?' Katie Fforde An enchanting French chateau and a handsome town mayor - the perfect recipe for romance... When their grandfather dies, Fliss and her sisters are astonished to inherit a French chateau! Travelling to Normandy to visit the beautiful if faded house, they excitedly make plans over delicious crepes and local cider in the town nearby. They soon discover the chateau needs major work and a huge tax bill is due . . . Unable to sell but strapped for cash, Fliss determines to spruce up the elegant old rooms and open a B&B. But Jacques, the handsome town mayor, is opposed to her plan. When it becomes clear that the only way to save the magnificent castle is to work together, Jacques and Fliss discover that they have more in common than they think... A romantic and uplifting read about turning your dreams into a reality from the author of Escape to the French Farmhouse. ------------------------------- Readers are falling in love with Celebrations at the Chateau: The perfect story for curling up under a blanket, with a mug of hot chocolate A romantic and magical read . . . I couldn't put it down A wonderful hug of a book. Feel-good fiction at its very best! If you love Jo's books, her newest summer novel, Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe, is available now!


The Black Count

The Black Count

Author: Tom Reiss

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2012-09-18

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 0307952959

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WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY • ONE OF ESQUIRE’S BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL TIME General Alex Dumas is a man almost unknown today, yet his story is strikingly familiar—because his son, the novelist Alexandre Dumas, used his larger-than-life feats as inspiration for such classics as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. But, hidden behind General Dumas's swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: he was the son of a black slave—who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time. Born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Alex Dumas made his way to Paris, where he rose to command armies at the height of the Revolution—until he met an implacable enemy he could not defeat. The Black Count is simultaneously a riveting adventure story, a lushly textured evocation of 18th-century France, and a window into the modern world’s first multi-racial society. TIME magazine called The Black Count "one of those quintessentially human stories of strength and courage that sheds light on the historical moment that made it possible." But it is also a heartbreaking story of the enduring bonds of love between a father and son.