The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

Blurb

One letter will turn newly-married Grace Munroe’s life upside down: ‘Our firm is handling the estate of the deceased Mrs Eva D’Orsey and it is our duty to inform you that you are named as the chief beneficiary in her will.’ So begins a journey which leads Grace through the streets of Paris and into the seductive world of perfumers and their muses. An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank will lead her to unravel the heartbreaking story of her mysterious benefactor, an extraordinary woman who bewitched high society in 1920s New York and Paris.

My Perspective

This is the twenty-second book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro from Ionia at Readful Things Blog. You can read her thoughts on the book here.

The Perfume Collector is about Grace, a young newlywed living in London, England in the 1950s and how she finds herself the sole beneficiary of a deceased Parisian woman’s estate of whom she’d never met. She decides to stay in Paris awhile to find out who this lady really was however the more she learns, the more she finds there is to untangle.

I love a good mystery and although this one was rather predictable, the telling of the tale with all its intricate details was highly enjoyable.

Grace was a fairly easy character to like. There were moments where I found her frustrating however considering the upheaval happening in her life, it would be unrealistic if she didn’t have moments of weakness and unwise decision making. I didn’t find it easy to like Eva however I found it hard not to admire her. She had it tough, her life was far from easy and she kept fighting all the way. Monsieur Tissot was a dream! Probably too unrealistic

The story was rich in detail and description, with fascinating settings, delicious food and overall beauty and depth. It was hard not to be immersed.

There were some slight sexual references in the book (including rape) however as a said, it is very slight so enough to make me uncomfortable and to mention it however not enough to warrant me feeling the need to stop reading the book.

It was well written, interesting and kept you turning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book if you like historical fiction.

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The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas Pere

Blurb

This swashbuckling epic of chivalry, honor, and derring-do, set in France during the 1620s, is richly populated with romantic heroes, unattainable heroines, kings, queens, cavaliers, and criminals in a whirl of adventure, espionage, conspiracy, murder, vengeance, love, scandal, and suspense. Dumas transforms minor historical figures into larger- than-life characters: the Comte d’Artagnan, an impetuous young man in pursuit of glory; the beguilingly evil seductress “Milady”; the powerful and devious Cardinal Richelieu; the weak King Louis XIII and his unhappy queen—and, of course, the three musketeers themselves, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, whose motto “all for one, one for all” has come to epitomize devoted friendship. With a plot that delivers stolen diamonds, masked balls, purloined letters, and, of course, great bouts of swordplay, The Three Musketeers is eternally entertaining.

My Perspective

The Three Musketeers follows d’Artagnan, a young Frenchman, as he journeys to Paris to join the King’s Musketeers. He soon becomes firm friends with three of the King’s Musketeers whilst entangling himself in the political war between the King, the Cardinal and the Queen.

I really enjoyed this book.

It was fairly slow to start off with and the language took a bit of getting used to however once d’Artagnan was in Paris, it started to flow a lot more smoothly.

Although young and a bit foolhardy, d’Artagnan is easy to like. His companions, Athos, Porthos and Aramis are extremely likeable and the more you read, the more you feel a part of their friendship group. They are both honourable and courageous as well as arrogant and pleasure seekers. I pitied the Queen, thought the King was spineless, and the Cardinal both cruel and intriguing. I absolutely loathed and abhorred Milady. I wondered what on earth happened to her to create such a monster of a person.

The story was long and fairly detailed and although it had a steady pace, most of the time it had me hardly able to put it down. It was quite complex due to its political nature and there were times that I got a bit lost however it was so interesting that I didn’t mind that at all. It had action, some romance, intrigue and drama – all what make a great novel.

I enjoyed the way in which it was written, it was fairly unique with the author’s tidbits throughout.

Overall I really enjoyed the story and I would definitely recommend it if you like historical fiction.

 

French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley by Linda Kovic-Skow

Blurb

In the summer of 1979, twenty-one-year-old Linda Kovic contracts to become an au pair for an aristocratic French family in the Loire Valley. To secure the position, she pretends to speak the language, fully aware her deception will be discovered once she arrives at her destination.

Based on the author’s diary, French Illusions captures Linda’s fascinating and often challenging real life story inside and outside the Chateau de Montclair. Her compelling story details her challenges and triumphs as she tries to adjust to her new life with Madame and Monsieur Dubois and their children. Join Linda on her unforgettable adventure of discovery and romance in an extraordinary part of the world.

My Perspective

This is the eighteenth book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley by Linda Kovic-Skow from Ionia at Readful Things Blog. You can read her thoughts on the book here.

This book is the memoir of Linda Kovic-Skow’s time as an American au pair in France.

Although i was curious to read this book, i had my hesitations on whether i would like it because of the deception that gives her the opportunity to be an au pair. I wondered how this would be received not only at the beginning but for the duration of her stay. Although i understood why she did it in the first place, i was disappointed in how she handled herself from that point onwards.

I found it really hard to like Linda. I found her to be a bit of a selfish, spoiled brat. I thought her expectations were way off and her attitude wasn’t in the right place. I couldn’t relate to her and so because of all that, i couldn’t sympathise with her situation. Obviously i felt that Madame was out of line, however so was Linda. The rest of the family and acquaintances were in their parts likeable and not.

The romantic aspects in the book had my eyes rolling in my head. I couldn’t believe that this was actually a true story. Without trying to be rude, it read like a tween’s fantasy diary.

What kept me reading then? The descriptions of the French countryside, the French food, the French architecture. Basically the French parts of the story were a wonderful read.

By the end of the book i did feel truly sorry for Linda and the way she was treated – it was completely wrong. However it didn’t reconcile her to myself.

Overall i was quite disappointed in this book and would only recommend it if you like stories along the line of a teenage summer romance with A LOT of challenges in it.

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

Blurb

Abbas Haji is the proud owner of a modest family restaurant in Mumbai. But when tragedy strikes, Abbas propels his boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, finally settling in the remote French village of Lumiere, where he establishes an Indian restaurant, Maison Mumbai.

Much to the horror of their neighbour, a famous chef named Madame Mallory, the Indian establishment opposite her own begins to garner a following. Little does she know that the young Hassan, son of Abbas, has discovered French cuisine and has vowed to become a great French chef. Hassan is a natural whose talents far outweigh Mme. Mallory, but the tough old Frenchwoman will not brook defeat.

Thus ensues an entertaining culinary war pitting Hassan’s Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Mme. Mallory, leading the young Hassan to greatness and his true destiny.

This vivid, hilarious and charming novel – about how just a small distance of a hundred feet can represent the gulf between different cultures, different people, their tastes and their destinies – is simply bursting with eccentric characters, delicious flavours and high emotion.

My Perspective

Having watched the movie when it came out last year, i was familiar with the story line of The Hundred-Foot Journey. However much to my surprise, the movie is actually quite different to the book so i actually had no idea what was going to happen next. I think i preferred the book because comparing the two now, the movie is very “Hollywood” whether the book is unpredictable and even a bit melancholy.

I really liked Hassan. As a young boy and teenager he was really quite endearing. As he grew older i admired his humility. He was smart, talented, respectful and you could really get inside his head. I loved his family and the way they were described – so colourful and full of life. Madame Mallory was a force of a character and you couldn’t help but like her even though she could be so frosty. I really liked the comparison between the French and the Indian – in terms of culture, people and cuisine. And how Hassan became the product of those two colliding.

The writing was so descriptive and i loved how even the non-food descriptions were compared to food! It was hard to read this book without getting hungry.

The book was really well written, drawing you into Hassan’s world. The author really made you feel like you were a part of it with the use of different senses to set the scenes. It was a really interesting premise – really quite fresh. I really enjoyed how everything wasn’t spelled out to you either. There was a lot of subtlety.

Overall i really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it, especially to those who like stories that involve descriptions of food! It was a really rich story, so colourful and vibrant.