Have you ever suffered a deep, emotional pain, and then went away on a trip to try to help you cope with your pain?
This book was an enjoyable tale that’s set on the French countryside. Evie, living in London, is still not over the death of her infant daughter. Her husband has abandoned her, and he failed to be there for her when she needed him. Now, it appears her husband has moved on with his life while, a year later, next year’s Christmas, Evie still struggles with her grief.
Her life takes an interesting turn when her best friend loans her the use of their family cottage on the French countryside. During the Christmas season, Evie stays in the cottage and meets an interesting group of people, her neighbors, who live nearby. During her grieving year, Evie has lost her joy for life and cooking. Her joy of cooking is re-ignited while she stays in the cottage.
I really loved the way I was able to emotionally connect with the characters in this novel. You could really feel for them, feel their griefs, but, they’re strong people, and they learn to survive past pains.
I also loved reading about the food! I took French for four years in high school and during those four years, not only did we learn about the language, but, we learned a lot about French history and culture. A lot of my French Christmas cultural learning came back to me while reading this book! I might even make a yule log/buche de noel this Christmas!
So have you ever suffered a deep emotional pain and went away on a trip to help you cope? If so, where did you go?