The Lavender Garden
A Novel
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4.4 • 106 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Light Behind the Window.
An aristocratic French family, a legendary château, and buried secrets with the power to destroy two generations torn between duty and desire.
La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinières, the last of her gilded line, inherits her childhood home, a magnificent château and vineyard. With the property comes a mountain of debt—and almost as many questions...
Paris, 1944: A bright, young British office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is sent undercover to Paris to be part of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during the climax of the Nazi occupation. Separated from her contacts in the Resistance, she soon stumbles into the heart of a prominent family who regularly entertain elite members of the German military even as they plot to liberate France. But in a city rife with collaborators and rebels, Constance’s most difficult decision may be determining whom to trust with her heart.
As Emilie discovers what really happened to her family during the war and finds a connection to Constance much closer than she suspects, the château itself may provide the clues that unlock the mysteries of her past, present, and future. Here is a dazzling novel of intrigue and passion from one of the world’s most beloved storytellers.
Customer Reviews
Keep Reading in Spite of Frustrating Beginning
This book had a painfully slow and erratic beginning but got better as the story unfolded. My biggest complaint is that Emilie, the main character, isn’t all that likable. In the beginning of the book she’s downright annoying and incompetent. I almost quit reading — multiple times — but kept going and finally, as the historical story of the war and Nazi occupied paris began the book got very good. The descriptions and details of the war are wonderfully written and breathe life into the story to the point I thin did not want to put it down. The story also makes you realize the devastation of the war on many levels and how we humans are desperate in desperate times; capable of so much love and so much hate. My advice: Stick with the book as it gets better and ends up being a wonderful story.