Vague Souvenir

Is this a book for you?
IT IS NOT FOR YOU if you look for fast pacing action, profound mystery, a Harlequin love trip or the recounting of world war 2 battles. It is just not what I did.
IT IS FOR YOU if you want to travel in history with a book that pays great attention to details (smells, dresses, food, the way of thinking of the time). The story is about a French family divided by war in the town of Lille. The place is important because the town reacted differently than the rest of France. People from Lille believed that they would become part of Germany and were therefore much more resisting fascism than the rest of France. The two heroes, one French, one American travel in Portugal, Spain, Britain and Ireland, as each country had its special political flavors and problems during WW2. The heroes have in common a very unhappy childhood. Many unhappy kids never become happy adults. How does it go in this story?