Audiobook Review: The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

Title:  The House I Loved

Author:  Tatiana de Rosnay

Narrator:  Kate Reading

Unabridged Length: 5 hrs, 56 mn.



Here is a summary of the book from the Macmillan website:

Paris, France: 1860’s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

 Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de  Rosnay's The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one woman’s indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls...

My Review:
This was an enjoyable novel to listen to that brought us into historical Paris, not only through the letters of our dear main character Rose, but also the people that were dear to her heart.  Kate Reading did a great job narrating this novel and to me embraced the characters and the time period that helped to create vivid images for me.

As you can see from the summary above, the home that holds memories of Rose's full life is about to be turned into rubble.  She doesn't seem to have any alternative but to accept the fact that her home will soon be destroyed.  As she comes to terms with this fact, she also finds a way to reconcile with herself the many unfortunate events that took place there.  Through her letters to her long-passed husband, she reveals secrets that have been hidden in her heart throughout her lifetime.

We get to know other characters in the novel from the letters that they write to Rose.  From these various letters we get to know Rose as the gentle and loving woman that she has become.  This makes the secret she has been carrying around throughout her life that much more of an abomination.

I did enjoy this audiobook filled with french accents and history.  My only problem is that I would sometimes be confused if I wasn't paying close attention to whose letter was being read at the time.  Quite often when reading a book like this I find myself going back to the beginning of the chapter to see who is speaking.  Sometimes that is hard to do while listening to an audiobook.  With themes of love, loss, friendship, and secrets, this was an enjoyable book to listen to and I also feel that it would make an interesting book club discussion.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay

Here is a summary of A Secret Kept from the Macmillan website:

This stunning new novel from Tatiana de Rosnay, author of the acclaimedNew York Times bestseller Sarah’s Key, plumbs the depths of complex family relationships and the power of a past secret to change everything in the present.

It all began with a simple seaside vacation, a brother and sister recapturing their childhood.  Antoine Rey thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister Mélanie’s birthday: a weekend by the sea at Noirmoutier Island, where the pair spent many happy childhood summers playing on the beach.  It had been too long, Antoine thought, since they’d returned to the island—over thirty years, since their mother died and the family holidays ceased.  But the island’s haunting beauty triggers more than happy memories; it reminds Mélanie of something unexpected and deeply disturbing about their last island summer.  When, on the drive home to Paris, she finally summons the courage to reveal what she knows to Antoine, her emotions overcome her and she loses control of the car.

Recovering from the accident in a nearby hospital, Mélanie tries to recall what caused her to crash.  Antoine encounters an unexpected ally: sexy, streetwise Angèle, a mortician who will teach him new meanings for the words life, love and death.  Suddenly, however, the past comes swinging back at both siblings, burdened with a dark truth about their mother, Clarisse.  

Trapped in the wake of a shocking family secret shrouded by taboo, Antoine must confront his past and also his troubled relationships with his own children.  How well does he really know his mother, his children, even himself?  Suddenly fragile on all fronts as a son, a husband, a brother and a father, Antoine Rey will learn the truth about his family and himself the hard way. By turns thrilling, seductive and destructive, with a lingering effect that is bittersweet and redeeming, A Secret Kept is the story of a modern family, the invisible ties that hold it together, and the impact it has throughout life.

My Review:
I was very excited to have a copy of this audiobook in my possession that was read by Simon Vance.  I've heard such wonderful things about his narration but have yet to listen to one of his stories.  Although this isn't a suspenseful audiobook, it is quite emotional as we journey with Antoine to his past as he recalls what life was like when his mother was alive and how it changed after she died.  This event obviously impacted him in a way that would affect how he cares for his own family and children.

Antoine is a divorced father who decides to take his sister Melanie on a special birthday vacation.  How could he know that the vacation would spur Melanie's memory to recall something about their mother that would cause a serious accident?  The accident would put Melanie on a long path of recuperation and also introduce Angele into Antione's life, who becomes a welcome love interest to him.  He finally can stop pining after his ex-wife as he now has the sexy and exciting Angele to look forward to spending time with.

When Melanie and Antoine were quite young their mother died, and it doesn't seem that either of them were given the opportunity to properly grieve for her.  As the emotions finally have a chance to surface, memories and questions about her death follow closely behind.  As Antoine surveys his mothers medical records he seems to have more questions, but will the answers bring him resolution or only create more heartache?  As Antoine deals with his feelings about his mother he finds that helps him to become a better father to the children that he seems to be growing apart from.

I must admit that this wasn't an audiobook that I found much enjoyment from.  I did enjoy parts of the story but I don't think I would have liked it more had I actually read it either.  With themes of secrets and parenting it was an interesting book to listen to, but you may enjoy it more than I did.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was from my personal collection and I listened to it for my own entertainment.

You can check out more great book reviews over at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Review: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Here is a summary of Sarah's Key from St. Martin's Press website:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

My Review:

Why did I have this book for so long and not read it? Who knows-it was really an amazing story. I have always enjoyed books from the World War II time period, and this one was no exception. The first half of the book alternates characters and time periods with every chapter. So you get a glimpse into Sarah Stargynski's life in 1942, and also Julia Jarmond's in 2002. When you consider the brutality of the Holocaust, it was kind of relieving to read a chapter that took place in 2002. It was a nice little break that let you catch your breath.

The book starts out with Sarah Stargynski in 1942 who is living with her family in an apartment in Paris. Since her family was Jewish, they have been selected to be arrested as part of the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup that took place on July 16th, 1942. This is a part of World War II history that is not spoken of often, but obviously had a dramatic affect on the Jewish population in Paris at the time.

Although this book is fictional, it is important to realize that the Vel' d'Hiv' did actually happen. Jewish people were rounded up, some adults were sent to camps right away, while parents and their children were held in a stadium for days until adequate transportation was provided to transport them to the camps. The indignities that these people had to endure during this time were obviously just the start of their nightmares, since they didn't have any operating toilet facilities, and very little food and water. Although these orders to commit these atrocities were from Nazi Germany, the actual round-up and transporting of these innocent victims was completed by the French police.

When Julia Jarmond is introduced she adds a new element to the story. Julia is a journalist and her current assignment requires her to research the events from the Vel' d'Hiv. As Julia researches the events from that horrendous day, she uncovers a connection between her family and Sarah Starginski's family. As Julia follows Sarah's journey she uncovers the atrocities that were committed against the Starginski family. While Julia retraces Sarah's footsteps she finds herself at a train station that has been turned into a day care center. The following is from page 138 and was written on a sign above the day care center door:

In memory of the thousands of Jewish children, women and men, who between May 1941 and August 1943 passed through this station and the internment camp at Beaune-la-Rolande, before being deported to Auschwitz, the extermination camp, where they were assassinated. Never forget.

As Julia's quest for information about Sarah goes on, she finds herself struggling with events that take place in her personal life. She has a wonderful daughter of her own and is married to a good looking man that seems to be only concerned about his own well-being. After learning about the Vel' d'Hiv, Julia finds herself questioning the life that she has led with her selfish husband. She finds herself appreciating life in a new and fresh way.

We experience the hardships that Sarah experienced through this book. Although I really enjoyed the book I can't say that I particularly enjoy reading Holocaust events. To think that human beings were actually treated this way just burns me up inside and makes me so angry! A few years ago I took a Holocaust class, so even though I do feel pretty knowledgeable about the subject, I still did not know much about the Vel' d'Hiv round up. I think this book was very historically informative about that event. I also want to share something that I found at Remember.org when I was working on my reserarch paper for this class. I remember when I first read The Story of Elsie V. I had tears running down my face. Maybe you have already read this story so you know what I am talking about, but if you haven't, I suggest that you read it right away.

I think that Tatiana de Rosnay did a great job of providing historical information about a very important piece of history. I think this book would also be a great book club selection and spark a very interesting discussion. Even though we have all heard it before, I think it is important to repeat--Never Forget.

My Rating: 4/5