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The Blurb (from Amazon)
Surprise, shock, and a shift in her comfortable life tumble into Katherine Price’s world when least expected. The future she has imagined suddenly vanishes, leaving little to focus upon beyond her career and the caregiving her elderly widowed mother might require.
Fate has other plans.
June in Provence is full of promise when Katherine arrives from Canada, eager to feel renewed by her surroundings. Endless rows of lavender prepare to burst into pink and purple blooms. Fields of sunflowers flow in golden waves among vineyards and olive groves. Ancient hilltop villages beckon. It’s the postcard setting she envisioned, but is that all she needs?
After a year of heartbreak, Katherine has impulsively agreed to a home exchange in the south of France. Colorful locals, a yellow lab named Picasso, and the inspiring beauty of the countryside breathe new life into her days.
Seeking to shed the pain of betrayal and loss, she struggles to recapture her joie de vivre and searches for the answer to a haunting question: is it too late to begin again?
As Katherine explores the romantic cobblestone lanes of medieval towns, discovers the intoxicating pleasures of Paris and savors the sun-kissed Côte d'Azur, she begins redefining the possibilities in her life.
An enduring story of hope and change in life’s later years is woven through the author’s love-letter to France. Like a well-travelled friend, Patricia Sands invites readers into a world she loves and entices them to linger.
As we meet Katherine, a research assistant in her mid-fifties, living in Toronto, Canada, we discover that her life with Jame's is quite routine and they are creatures of habit. She knows exactly how they will celebrate their Wedding Anniversary. Or does she?
A sudden discovery sees Katherine's world coming crashing down around her and she is numb. As she comes to terms with the sudden changes in her life and losing her identity, she also has to look after her ailing mother. Her mother has a story she must tell Katherine about her roots and their struggles.
Katherine decides to pick herself up with the help of her very close friends. She yearns to travel back to France after a 30 year absence, remembering a happier time there before she met James. A friend suggests house exchange holidaying and so begins Katherine's travels to heal herself.
Along the way she meets some wonderful people. All the characters in the story have their purpose and reason for being in Katherine's life. Her dear friend Molly joins her on one of the exchanges and suggests to Katherine that is time to move on from her divorce and find love again.
This novel is written with a passion for France, it's people and it's sights and flavours. I felt like I was actually travelling far and wide with Katherine, although I have never been to France. The poetic descriptions of the landscapes, the villages, the attractions and the cuisine were so romantic. In amongst this journey are some gritty relationship issues for some of the characters.
A love affair with France.
5 out of 5 for me! I loved it!
.JPG)
