“Papa always told us that to be brave doesn’t mean you have no fear. It just means you can move forwards in spite of that fear”
- Book: All That We Have Lost
- Location: Brittany
- Author: Suzanne Fortin
Okay! So, after checking out a few of the early reviews, I had my tissues at the ready before I began reading this book. However, apart from one or two ‘misty eyed’ moments, they weren’t really needed, as although this story was undoubtedly sad at the outset, by the time it reached its conclusion, I felt only uplifted in spirit and full of hope for Imogen and Laurent’s future happiness, with a past laid carefully to rest.
I do also try to never judge a book by its cover, but how could anyone resist such an amazing richness of colour and a sense of time and place. This one is certainly going to stand out amongst its contemporaries on the bookshop shelves!
All That We Have Lost, is a well structured and beautifully rendered, dual timeline love story with a mystery, set in the same small Brittany town of 1944 and 2019. It is broken down into bite-sized, alternating dateline chapters which are well signposted and easy to follow, and is narrated in the first person by Simone and Imogen, as they each tell their own stories. In a town which has changed relatively little in the intervening years between visits and still boasts a large number of generational families still living there, the two strands of the story weave seamlessly together beautifully, if somewhat painfully, into a whole new chapter which will be secure into the future.
Whilst this is very much a story which features two strong, brave and determined female protagonists, I did find myself favouring Simone’s recollections of a 1944, small provincial town which has been occupied by invading German forces, who have made the local chateau their headquarters, but who have no respect for its history and heritage. She discovers that The Resistance has a very healthy presence in the town, to which she is recruited, when it transpires that she will be required to visit the chateau regularly as part of the German officers “entertainment” evenings, as she is a more than competent flautist. Unfortunately, Simone is also set to lose her heart to the enemy, when she realises that not all German officers are cruel, or condone the actions of many of their comrades. Max has long since decided that not only does “warfare make strange bedfellows”, but it can also make monsters, so he must ultimately decide whether he is prepared to lay down his life for duty or love.
Imogen’s story is a wonderfully sympathetic foil for Simone’s story, when, still recovering from a recent heartbreak of her own, she arrives in this same provincial town, some 70 years later and falls in love with the abandoned and derelict Tredion Chateau, where she decides to make a new beginning for herself, unaware of the vitriol and visceral bad feeling the place stirs in the local population. Matters are brought to a climax when Imogen discovers that her heart can also be tamed and her life transformed, by Laurent Roussell, a local man who has been all but ostracised by those with long memories, who can recall his family connection with Simone Varon and a German soldier. Once they both open up, confront their emotions and lay bare their innermost thoughts, Imogen and Laurent make it their mission to unravel the secrets of the past and set the record straight about Simone’s part in the occupation, thus paving the way for a reconciliation between Laurent and his silent accusers and finally laying the ghosts of the past to rest, freeing the chateau from its curse.
Those are just the bare bones of this compelling, well structured, multi-layered storyline, which has so much to offer, but no more ‘spoilers’ from me! In many respects it represents a fictional eye into the social history and culture of a place where time has stood still for many of its inhabitants. It is rich in atmosphere, emotionally evocative and beautifully textured, presenting a lesson which transcends time, about things not being what they might seem at first sight and how we shouldn’t be too ready to jump to conclusions. The writing is perceptive, fluent and immersive, with a great visuality and depth taking me right to the heart of the action, in this very three dimensional saga, where characters, plot and location, all play an equally important role.
Suzanne has created a well drawn and developed cast of characters, who have been given a strong and commanding voice with which to tell their story, with just the merest of ‘hands on’ touches from their creator. Strong, courageous, resilient and determined female characters are at the heart of both stories, but they are also women of compassion, fortitude and heart. Often complex and emotional, raw and passionate, vulnerable and searching for a sense of belonging; but always genuine, believable and authentic. Even when some of the characters were less than open, honest and truthful, they were still easy to connect with, relate to and invest in, as their motives were never malicious or duplicitous.
This book definitely ticks all the right boxes for the reasons I read and how I want to feel when I have finished the last word and closed that final page. Thank you for taking me on an amazing journey, Suzanne.
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