Liza Perrat

For the uninitiated, “A Taste of Triskele” might suggest an ad for a whole grain cereal. But according to http://www.triskelebooks.co.uk, Triskele is actually a publishing collective, and these short stories serve as an introduction to the work of these accomplished indie (female) authors. The stories are united by the sumptuous detail, and the evocation of foreign places or time periods, as well as by inclusions of recipes that relate to the stories. JJ Marsh’s two stories, marked by an ethereal chilliness and punctuated by sly humor, have a Mediterranean atmosphere, though one, “The Stone Boat”, could be aptly described as magical realism. Several stories deal with the past—the earthy, sensuous, occasionally vulgar Signature Dish, with its amazing descriptions of over-the-top pastries, is a contrast to the pure and romantic The Love of Julius, in which a young Syrian reaches out to a damaged Egyptian girl, but both appear to have been lovingly researched. A flourish of artistic defiance towards totalitarian oppression, A Life not Lost presents the perspective of a brave painter. To round it off, a tale of destroyed innocence from mystery writer Gillian E. Hamer, and two dystopian stories verging on steam-punk, one hopeful and one dark.
I just read Louise Erdrich’s short story in the New Yorker today. I didn’t feel that her inventiveness and descriptions were noticeably better than some of the submissions in this collection. For instance, here’s a description of an afternoon scene from JJ Marsh: “sun illuminated a whole palette of greens in the hedgerows, sparkled off granite rocks and lit celandines, poppies, and cornflowers like scattered sweets.” Or JW Hicks crafting a tantalizing mix of archaic and other-worldly in the dialect of a young girl remembering her lost freedom: “Even tired from dream-frights or shadow-weary with mill labor, I relished walking to and fro.”
If you’re a fan of well-crafted stories, you’ll be happy with these.
… (meer)

3.5 Stars

Set in 18th century France prior to the start of the French Revolution, Spirit of Lost Angels follows the life of Victoire Charpentier, a young peasant woman raised in the French countryside. Although poor, young Victoire is blessed with a family that loves her and the kindness of friends in her village. But when her father is killed and her mother executed for witchcraft, Victoire is forced to move to Paris and work in service to a noble family. Treated by her new master in a most brutal fashion, Victoire manages to escape back to her village and find contentment by having a family of her own. Victoire's happiness, however, is short-lived, and in her grief she is accused of an unthinkable crime and sent to Paris' notorious La Salpêtrière asylum. While in La Salpêtrière Victoire becomes friends with the infamous Jeanne de Valois, the key player in the scandalous affair of the diamond necklace, and together the women manage to plot their escape from the asylum. While Jeanne flees to England, Victoire assumes a new identity and remains in Paris, where she is able to create a new life for herself. This new life brings Victoire into contact with a group of woman of a revolutionary bent, and she finds herself caught up in the revolutionary fervor. In a city and country under the threat of revolution, Victoire must decide whether she wants to fully embrace it or chose an altogether different path.

Through her lovely descriptive prose, Liza Perrat brings both Victoire Charpentier and the world she lived in to life. By following Victoire as a youth in a small village, to her move to Paris to work as a servant in a noble house, to her days as an inmate at La Salpêtrière, and finally to her post-asylum life within revolutionary circles, the reader is given a first hand account not only of Victoire's experiences but also of the changing political landscape of France itself. While Victoire's life in Paris is interesting, especially as it showcases the role of women in the onset of the French Revolution, it is the narrative set in the small village of Lucie-sur-Vionne and in La Salpêtrière that best showcase Perrat's talent as a writer. Indeed, the section of the novel concerning Victoire's stay in La Salpêtrière vividly illustrates what a horrible experience it must have been for those who found themselves housed or imprisoned within its walls. As the novel's protagonist, Victoire is an overall well-drawn and sympathetic character and, as a result, readers will have little difficulty liking her. Although Victoire is portrayed as intelligent and resourceful woman, her extensive knowledge of French and Parisian politics in the latter half of the book seems unrealistic for someone with her background. As a result, the last section of the novel would benefit from additional detail regarding Victoire's self-education, which, although acknowledged, mostly takes place off page.

Overall, The Spirit of Lost Angels is an enjoyable novel that is sure to appeal to fans of the French Revolution era, as well as to those who enjoy novels featuring strong heroines.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this novel by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review… (meer)

I was pleasantly surprised to find this was a semi-novelization of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre in France. It's such an important historical event that I've never seen before in fiction. The author does a fantastic job in capturing the horror of that event, giving us an array of possible reasons for it, and just creating this world of oppression in Nazi-occupied France. My knuckles went white more than once while holding my Kindle and devouring this novel.

I really enjoyed the main character's journey to maturity. Celeste grew from this whiny teenager only wanting to get out of dodge to a dedicated Resistance fighter, devoted to kicking the Nazis out of her home turf. She goes through some serious trauma as well and shows some real humanity in trying to process that trauma and overcome it. Her character felt very real to me, making mistakes like anyone in her situation would yet facing it all with a grit that I found very admirable.

The romantic elements of this novel, however, I could take or leave. I didn't feel Martin's presence throughout most of the story. I think he only appears for, like, a third of the novel. The rest seems to be mostly about Celeste's growth as a character and her experiences in Nazi-occupied Lyon and her local village (not a bad thing, really, as this was a great story!). But when Martin was there, it felt like the author was really trying to push and elevate this romance in the narrative, and I just didn't feel it.

The book was a pleasant surprise for me. It took awhile for me to get into it. Yet, once I did, I really enjoyed the fantastic world-building and Celeste's journey as a maturing character. While the romantic elements were pretty pale when compared to the rest of the story, it definitely wasn't a book-killer for me. Check out this book if you're looking for a incredible novel set during WWII that details the struggle for freedom and against tyranny.… (meer)