The Winemaker's Wife

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Liv has her own struggles, including dealing with the end of her marriage. How does her situation compare with Ines’s predicament? Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction, WW11, France, French Resistance Movement, Wine Making

Norwegian novelist Jacobsen folds a quietly powerful coming-of-age story into a rendition of daily life on one of Norway’s rural islands a hundred years ago in a novel that was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize. The Winemaker's Wife is told from three different points-of-view—those of Liv, Inés and Céline. These three women are vastly different, and the varying ways in which they define themselves - or in Céline's case, the way she is defined by the Germans - have a significant impact on the choices they make. Inés is the wife of the owner of the Maison Chauveau, but her marriage is falling apart. Her husband, Michel, doesn't trust her, she feels isolated out in the countryside and she'll give the Germans as much wine as they want if it means surviving the war. She would love to befriend Céline, the wife of the Maison's cellar master, but the other woman seems to shun all of Inés' efforts, making her feel even more out of place and unwanted. From Céline's point-of-view, Inés is flighty and clumsy, always making a mess of the work they do to produce wine. Céline is dedicated to the Maison Chauveau and to Michel, and she's determined to do whatever it takes to ensure the vineyard survives the war, including keeping as much wine as possible from the Germans. However, as Nazi power and influence in the region continues to grow, Céline's Jewish heritage puts her in danger, and her priorities begin to shift as she faces the threat of deportation or worse. Full of betrayal, bravery and redemption, The Winemaker's Wife is a poignant look at the vineyards of WWII-era France, and the story of one family's role in fighting the Nazis. Look, I get that there were people who are oblivious, or scared, or complacent in war. Their main focus is survival and the survival of their families, or they're just too naive or traumatized to understand the hell their once normal world has been thrust into it. I'm not mad that this book didn't feature some heroine that risked her life to spy on Nazis or smuggle people across the boarders...This novel takes place in the champagne-producing region of France. How does the location play into the plot? Is the setting crucial to the story, or could this book have taken place at any vineyard during World War II? The Winemaker's Wife is my second book by Kristin Harmel. I am fascinated with WWII and tend to be drawn to books that take place during this time. Unfortunately, I loved the idea of this book more than the book itself and a lot of it had to do with the characters. That being said, there were parts of the book that appealed to me. Read Wine and War by Don and Petie Kladstrup, which is about French winemakers who resisted the Nazis. Discuss the Resistance techniques depicted in both books and whether they were effective. No.” She hadn’t realized until then how breathless she was from the news and the drive and the rapid descent into the chill of the cellars. “No, Michel, I’m not all right at all.” Michel is not very attentive to Ines and doesn’t notice her attempts to be useful. However, he pays very close attention to Celine. Why do you think Michel was so frustrated with Inès?

Liv just divorced her husband in New York. She has nowhere to go; she lost her job; and she felt quite sorry for herself. Ninety-nine-year-old Edith arrives on her doorstep and whisk her away to Paris where time was running out for her to share a secret with Olivia.

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THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE joins the ever-growing World War II-era historical fiction subgenre. A number of recent books, including this one, revolve around personal, lesser-known events or people who are unfamiliar to many readers. Kristin Harmel’s story is set in and around Reims, France, in the Champagne region and takes place during the German occupation of that area. She focuses on the effects of the occupation on the residents and their varying responses to the Germans. France, wine, WWII, present day, and love - all of this wrapped into one amazing, difficult-to-put-down read.

THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE is another marvelous, intriguing read about the resiliency and determination of the French people and the entire European population.

Making champagne (or wine) is such an interesting process. I loved learning about it throughout this story. With a bit less detail, Kristin Harmel takes us though the process of making wine much like Lisa See did in The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. What's cool about learning about creation or farming processes like this via fiction is that it's far less boring (at least to me) than reading a non-fiction novel. You also get to see the impact things like weather, harvest delays, machinery breaking, etc. has directly on the process and people involved. The Winemaker's Wife is the next best thing to actually going out and making champagne in France yourself.

If I DNF'd books, this might've been one I would have set aside early on, however I am so glad I finished it. The end mostly redeemed this novel for me and brought my review up to 3 stars. This is one of those times where I am thankful that I am an eternal completest. When young Ines married into the famed Chauveau family she dreamt of peace and luxury. But with German occupation comes a life of fear: for herself, for family and friends joining the Resistance and for Celine, the Jewish wife of their chief vintner. As tensions mount and loyalties are tested, Ines will be faced with a terrible choice.

BookBrowse Review

There are the usual multiple POV, and in one case is from 75 years later, also something that seems to be common lately. I did think they were balanced nicely. It did keep my interest.