📖 Blog Tour ~ The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

Boldwood Books
27 June 2025

My thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources
for the invitation to the blog tour

 

1940: Marie-Claire steps into the Gare de Lyon, not knowing it will be the last time she'll see her husband and son. Fleeing occupied Paris, she travels into the countryside of Normandy, and stumbles upon a chateau near Caen and a growing resistance movement. Soon, Marie-Claire finds herself working in a cafe in the quiet village of Sainte-Mère-Église, where she tries to come to terms with all she has lost – but little does she realise that her presence in Normandy will change the course of history…

1998: Half a century later, Esther is returning to the Normandy village she visited as a teenager, seeking a break from her monotonous life. Back then, she'd fallen in love with a rustic farmhouse and the family that lived there – not least the charming eldest son, Jules Joubert. But now, when Esther discovers an old annotated cookbook in the family kitchen, she begins to realise that the place she holds so close to her heart may hide more secrets than even the Jouberts realise...

What stories does the area carry? And could this trip change Esther’s life for ever?

📖 My Review..

The troubled years of WW2 are brought to life in this dual time story which gives us Marie-Claire’s poignant time in France during the German occupation, together with Esther’s story in 1998 when she returns to the farm house in Normandy where she spent a happy time with the Joubert family as a teenager. 

With both time frames fitting so smoothly together the transition between past and present is seamless and I enjoyed spending time with Marie-Claire in the 1940s witnessing her time in the Normandy village of Sainte-Mère-Église and the vital role she plays in the safety of the townsfolk. Esther’s gentle reawakening and her burgeoning relationship with her childhood sweetheart is done with a light touch which doesn’t detract from the difficult time experienced during the war years by some members of the Joubert family. It’s a poignant read particularly Marie-Claire’s story which tugs away at the heartstrings and reminds us of the danger people in this part of France experienced during this troubled time and of the stalwart bravery of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in order to help those who were in danger.

I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time reading this lovely story, being immersed in the history of the area and the added significance of the church at Sainte-Mère-Église which was blended nicely into the story. I enjoyed the modern day gentle romance and the uncovering of Joubert family secrets which had been buried for far too long. Beautifully written, The Girl from Normandy is an absorbing story which kept my attention from first page to last.

About the Author

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Rachel was born to English 10-pound-pom parents in sub-tropical Brisbane, Australia, and when the family moved back to Poole, Dorset, she was just 5 years old. She then grew up against the stunning backdrop of Poole Harbour where she sailed and played on the beaches of Brownsea Island and Studland, and walked across the Purbeck Hills, all of which inspired her imagination and provided the setting of her debut historical fiction novel set in WWII. Since then, Rachel has moved back to Brisbane, Australia.

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