Author
Francesca Reece
Back Cover
“Leah, a young woman who has found herself ‘ambitioned’ out of London, is now aimlessly adrift in Paris. Tired of odd jobs in cafés and teaching English to unresponsive social media influencers, her heart skips a beat when she spots an advert for a writer seeking an assistant.
Michael was once the bright young star of the London literary scene, now a washed-up author with writer’s block. He doesn’t place much hope in the advert, but after meeting Leah is filled with an inspiration he hasn’t felt in years.
When Michael offers Leah the opportunity to join him and his family in their rambling but glorious property in the south of France for the summer, she finally feels her luck is turning. But as she begins to transcribe the diaries from his debauched life in 1960s Soho, something begins to nag at Leah’s sense of fulfilment; that there might be more to Michael than meets the eye.”
Our Thoughts
A sultry read about British expats in Paris which throws you simultaneously into the heat of August in the south of France, 1960s London, a military junta in Greece and a bit of the true gritty Paris. I went back and forth with this read. There were aspects that I very much enjoyed – the descriptive writing that made me feel like I was back walking the streets of London as well as the hot stickiness of summer in the south of France – and there were aspects that made me cringe like the set of interesting characters you meet. I’m a believer in not always relating or liking characters in books so it didn’t bother me too much. I also saw so many nods to French literature and women authors (very implicit but there) and of course the more explicit references to Brexit and the #MeToo movement.
Overall, I found this book to be a good summer read especially since I read it by the sea in the south of France – really felt the vibe. I really enjoyed talking about this book in a book club setting because we got really dive into the good and the bad. In the end, it may have been a bit long for what it wanted to accomplish and definitely doesn’t resolve some of the plot lines. In a way, that’s the reality of life. I’m so happy I was able to meet Reece and her more about her writing process and her thoughts behind the characters and narrative. This is only her first novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Genre:
Fiction
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