The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
Goodreads Summary: "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.."
I read Sarah's Key earlier this year and liked how the author wrote. This book was about an era that I haven't read or heard about, so it was interesting from that point of view. The problem I had with this book was that I couldn't get past the fact that this woman valued a house over her own life. I don't understand how "things" can be so important. The book was well written, but the content was hard to believe.
Finished: November, 2012
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.."
I read Sarah's Key earlier this year and liked how the author wrote. This book was about an era that I haven't read or heard about, so it was interesting from that point of view. The problem I had with this book was that I couldn't get past the fact that this woman valued a house over her own life. I don't understand how "things" can be so important. The book was well written, but the content was hard to believe.
Finished: November, 2012
Comments
Post a Comment