What's a Motto with you? Me, I'm a Brower.

Secrets, Lies, love, in Vichy France at the beginning of the German occupation. I know my history, but I somehow always wish that France with its beauty and splendor was overlooked by the Germans; that General Petain hadn't cut a deal with Hitler so that one half of France would be occupied and the other half would be unoccupied or a "free zone" which committed the people of France to the horror it experienced not only by the Nazi's but by their own friends, family, and police. So many Vineyards were destroyed by lack of water or taken to be used for the entertainment of the Germans and French Shadow Puppet Regime. So many lives ruined because of French Leadership. It breaks my heart.

The Girl from Vichy is one of those books that bring out a wide range of emotions. My first emotion was gladness for the fairytale vision of Adele's father's vineyard and all the nooks and crannies that his wine cellar held. Then it was disgust and rage from encounters that young Adele has in forms of forced relationships. Most of all I am in awe of Adele's found strength, how she takes risks that show she understands the situations that the people of Vichy are placed in and wants to encourage them to hold strong against the Milice and the Nazi regime.

When I read, The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton I was enthralled by the depth of research to detail and setting that Ms. Newton had done and the characters that she had created, especially Ella, who you watch grow from a young naive teen to a confident young woman. The Progression of Ella's strength, maturity, compassion, and how the story was written made me want more from this debuted Author. So when I read that Ms. Newton was writing a new book, It was placed on my "watch-for and must-read" list!

The Girl from Vichy hasn't let me down. Once again, Andie Newton has created a world that you can smell, breathe, taste. A world where you want to slap the smugness off a character's face when they walk into their scene and hug those who desperately need it. I wanted to outright cheer (and I actually did, my husband thought I was nuts when I told him it had to do with something that happened in a book. 😂)

You will want to take weeds and turn them into symbols of hope right alongside Adele. Summer is a time for love and this is a great summer read. If you love Historical Fiction, learning about different countries and its people, love characters you grow to appreciate and care for and find escape through danger and intrigue then this book is for you!

Thank you Netgalley, Aria Books, and author, Andie Newton for the Opportunity to read and review, The Girl from Vichy in lieu of my honest review.

Have you read a book that made you so upset that you had to set it down for a few hours just to get your bearings? Yeah, this is one of those books! Let me know If I am not alone on this in the comments.