Appelsinens fem kvarte (2001)

Well, I did really like this book and it was hard to put down. But, I don't think it was quite as good as Chocolat trilogy. Or maybe I've just read too much Joanne Harris for now... In any case, I really liked it. And having an old woman as a protagonist was refreshing, and in the flashbacks she was 9, which I found intriguing that it skipped the teenage years and being grown-up but still young, which seems to be the age categories for most female characters at the moment. At least if they're main characters. So, definitely something I liked reading. And in Lollipop Shoes Vianne mentions that they stayed in Les Laveuses with Framboise... Anyway, I think I'll take a bit of a brake from Joanne Harris and come back to her books a bit later. I do really like her writing! ( )

I did not like this book as much as Chocolat. It was well written and the two story lines (past and present) were woven well together. The past storyline was set in World War 2 but isn't really about the war. The characters were all lacking and flat. I'm sure in a few years time I will forget that I ever read about them. ( )

I enjoyed this story about life in occupied rural France during World War II. The writing is excellent...giving hints of deeper truths that are revealed at the end; and evoking the atmosphere of the setting so well. The characters are complex and nuanced. This is a story about how difficult it is to know the truth, about relationships, and about the consequences of war beyond the battlefields. ( )

A very enjoyable book by the author of Chocolate. This book explores the complex arena of family relationships. So many times we think we know why people are like they are and yet the back story is much deeper. ( )

A captivating story, not because it's pleasant but because of the psychological truth of it and the writing approach which consistently teases the reader with hints of the dark truth. It is also a sociological look at the conflicts and stresses of living in an occupied country (France during WWII). ( )