Book Summary:

This follows 2 main characters. Morane and her grandmother Rozenn. This goes back and forth between present-day (Morane POV) and WW2 when France was under occupation (Rozenns POV).

When Rozenn dies, Morane is heartbroken to know that all she got from her grandmother was a compass while her sister Gwen gets the family home. When looking after the house, Morane finds letters that were written for her grandmother. Rozenn never talked about her family after the war so Morane and the family has no idea what Rozenns life was before the war. While reading the letters, Morane takes it upon herself to figure out who her grandmother was.

Rozenn was a normal teenager when the Germans occupied France. She was living in Paris before moving to Brittany. She has an older brother name Yann who is in hiding. Along with a twin sister named Claire who has a mental disability.

While in Brittany, Rozenn meets a local by the name of Luc. Which turns out to be her future husband. Luc wants to help out in any way he can even if it means getting caught. Rozenn wants her brother, Yann, safe so it doesn’t cause any trouble for the family. But if something goes wrong, it will change the course of history that Rozenn might never talk about for the decades to come.

When Morane sets off to Brittany, it was to find out more about the family. The family she never knew. The family her father never knew. Threw this, Morane finds out that the past isn’t always pleasant. Morane does want to have a better relationship with her sister. So is what Morane finds worth saving her relationship with Gwen?

Thoughts:

It’s not often a book pulls me in from the first page. This book not only pulls me in but I was leaving each chapter with “I need more.”

I love historical fiction and I fell in love with the characters. Even if they had a snobbish attitude from time to time. Like Rozenn. Felt like she was a snob from time to time but for the most part, it seemed like she wanted her siblings to be safe. Even if she was a snob from time to time she would wack someone upside the head if she heard someone talk ill about her siblings. Especially Claire.

I fell in love with the story along with the setting. I felt like I was in the book and it was just amazing. I felt myself going on the adventure with the characters and it was amazing to see the journey they were on to see how they as people ended up.

This was my first book by this author and I loved it. I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Morane is upset by the loss of her beloved grandmother Rozenn, and even more puzzled by her will, which leaves her sister her home on the Cornwall coast and her a silver compass. Recognizing her life is a bit “lost” at the moment after getting out of a relationship gone wrong, Morane still feels snubbed. After discovering a portion of a letter under her grandmother’s bed, Morane is determined to figure out her grandmother’s closely guarded past and see if she can understand her grandmother’s wartime experience and what happened to her family.

Rozenn is forced to flee Paris with her family, when her father gets a safer post as a doctor on the Brittany coast. This is his chance to get his son, Yann, out of France before he is taken by the Germans again and forced into a labor camp. On the night of his escape, everything goes awry, changing the trajectory of Rozenn’s life forever.

Told in alternating timelines, this novel was a little bit of a slow start, but was a great read regardless of the pacing. Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and of course Eliza Graham for the advance copy! You Let Me Go is out now!

Eliza Graham aims for the heart with her evocative, poignant and spellbinding new novel, You Let Me Go.

Morane is absolutely heartbroken when she learns that her beloved grandmother Rozenn has passed away. But there are further shocks in store for Morane when she learns that she has been written out of her grandmother’s will and that the family home has been left entirely to her sister. Morane cannot believe that Rozenn had turned her back on her. Why did she write her out of her will? What was the reason behind this change of heart? With her business struggling and her relationship with her sister in tatters, Morane cannot seem to catch a break, but little does she realize that an unexpected find will lead her to a tangled web of forbidden desire and shameful secrets that will sweep her back in time to 1941…

When she discovers a letter linking Rozenn to Brittany under German occupation, Morane vows to get to the truth. In 1941, Rozenn had lived in the coastal village and found her life completely and utterly changed. As Morane continues to dig deep into the family’s past, she discovers twisted half-truths and a powerful secret that had haunted and terrorised Rozenn until the moment she had taken her last breath. But why did Rozenn go to such lengths to keep the past secret? Was it for those she loved? Or was there something far more tragic and sinister behind her decision? Searching for the truth is going to be anything but easy for Morane, but maybe she can learn how to make peace with the past and repair her tattered relationship with her sister.

Eliza Graham writes beautifully about relationships and the ties that bind us together and in You Let Me Go has penned a haunting, engaging and wonderfully atmospheric tale that moved me to tears and kept me eagerly turning the pages. Eliza Graham has a terrific gift for characterization and all her protagonists are beautifully drawn and exquisitely sketched and by the end of the novel will feel so real to the reader.

An poignant tale of love, loyalty and loss perfect for Lorna Cook fans, Eliza Graham’s You Let Me Go is an emotional page-turner readers will not be able to put down.

You Let Me Go is a story set in two timelines; modern-day Cornwall and France during the German occupation in World War II. Morene discovers that she has only bene left a small item in her beloved Grandmother's will while her sister has been left her home. In trying to understand why she has been excluded, Morene discovers a letter that begins a trail to find out about her Grandmother's history. As we look back at her Grandmother's time in occupied France, we gradually piece together Morene's family history, bringing her closer to her family and finding her own strength.

I enjoyed the dual timelines in this book and how the pieces of the story slowly slotted into place. I loved the settings of St Martin in France and modern day Cornwall and felt that Graham's descriptions really brought these to life. However, I felt that it took me a while to be invested in the story and the characters, but I did enjoy how the strands of the story were brought together in the final chapters.

This is an enjoyable story with family love, belonging, secrets and the power of forgiveness at its heart.

Eliza Graham, You Let Me Go, Amazon Publishing UK Lake Union Publishing 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this proof for review.

Eliza Graham has written a novel that combines an appealing story, well drawn characters, and a good command of her material. I was particularly pleased to see that the chapters set during German occupation of Brittany during World War 11 relied on a thoughtful story line, complete with realistic events, without a resort to gratuitous horrific detail. The reader is made aware of the privations, fear, and possible outcomes of unwise decisions, but is also given time to savour family moments, love, recklessness, and the ever-present knowledge that occupation could mean imprisonment or death and that selfish as well as principled motives influence judgements.

Two stories, both featuring Rozenn, flow easily between past and present. Although the book begins with Rozenn’s death in her Cornwall house, Vue Clair, her influence is ever present in her granddaughter’s lives. She is the predominant character in the past, in the large, almost sumptuous, Paris flat, and then in the neglected coastal house in Brittany in which the family takes refuge. Gwen and Morane are frequent visitors to Vue Clair, both feeling strongly about the house and environs as part of their close relationship with their grandmother. Rozenn’s anxiety is apparent when she is unable to communicate with the sisters while she is dying. Her anguish has its history in past family relationships in Brittany which have encouraged her to make a decision that has the potential to separate the sisters.

Characterisation is an important feature of this novel with subtly as the key to developing each as a potential source of frustration, empathy and understanding. Each character, whatever their status, is drawn with his or her flaws and desirable features tumbling one after the other, the sharp edges smoothed almost at the same time as they appear, although their impact remains. While Rozenn’s story predominates in the Brittany section, as does Morane’s in the present, their families’ influence on their thoughts and behaviour is vital in their decision making. Although Morane is acting in the present, at first glance I saw her world as being smaller than Rozenn’s. I found this an interesting concept and concluded that although she had suffered heartbreak and financial disaster, her ability to overcome these was within her individual capacity. Rozenn has only the narrow world of a Brittany village to encompass but must contend with the challenges imposed by the interdependence of people under duress. Some connections can be made between Rozenn and Morane’s behaviour and characters. The selfishness exhibited by the child, Morane, as she dashes into Vue Clair ‘leaving others to bring in the bags’, and her reaction to Gwen after the will is read mirrors Rozenn’s self-regarding conduct, even though the later has far more serious consequences. Perhaps Rozenn sees something of herself in her granddaughter, reflecting as she does that, she loves her ‘so fiercely’.

Morane’s and Rozenn’s journeys, although markedly different in purpose, danger, and time, introduce more parallels linking past, present and family connections. Rozenn’s story moves swiftly from her life as Paris born middle class girl with an easy life to a young woman of strength and courage in Brittany, and later to her home on the Cornish coast. Morane has been noticeably beaten by recent events until her decision to follow her Brittany connections. Each journey begins with an unpalatable family decision leading to confused arrangements and, despite the chaos, new possibilities.
Eliza Graham has written an historical novel that has an engaging and well imagined story line, nicely developed characterisation and a satisfying conclusion.

You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham is a historical fiction story told over two timelines, present day Cornwall and Nazi occupied France in the second world war. I am a history geek so was looking forward to delving into the book and getting to know the characters.
Morane discovers she has been written out of her beloved grandmother's will and her sister is the sole beneficiary of the family home in Cornwall. With her business on the rocks and her relationship with her sister not far behind, Morane becomes obsessed with just why she was written out of the will.
She finds an old letter that places her grandmother in Brittany while the Germans occupied France. Morane decides to go on the journey to discover her family history. What she discovers about her grandmother has Morane seeing her in a different light and realising she made sacrifices and kept secrets to protect those she loved. Sometimes truth is pain but ie Morane able to make peace with the past and fix her relationship with her sister, or is it broken for good?
In a story told with alternating chapters from the viewpoint of Morane and the other from her grandmother Rozenn, we are taken from present day Cornwall right back to France during it's years of Occupation from the Nazi's. The story unfolds and we learn about Rozenn's past as the reader while Morane puts the pieces together during her search. We see the similarities between the two women both with a flair for design and similar ways of feeling guilty for someth0ing they were not neccessarily to blame for. A story that highlights sibling relationships and the sibling rivalry that can be experienced at anytime and the fight for love from parents or grandparents, this particular thread shows no-one is perfect and we are all flawed in some way.. There is also the other side as well, the moments to remember. The familial bond we have in our lives that is shown through the book.
I loved travelling back in time yet again with another historical fiction book, The chapters taking us back to the past had me immersed and the wartime struggles made me think of my own grandparents. A story about the effect of choices made that have the power to echo down the years.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

My first thought after finishing this book is that I was delighted that it wasn't a love story between a man and woman, but more of love story between a set of sisters in present day and a family of five during WWII. It makes you question what lengths you would go to in order to protect your family, and what happens when those choices don't turn out the way you expect them to. I enjoyed switching back and forth between these two timelines, the POV of a teenager in the midst of war, and her granddaughter in the present time. This book shows both women's strength throughout their guilt and how their choices shaped their lives and their love for each other. I would definitely recommend this book.

Morane is very close to her grandmother, Rozenn, but when she dies Rozenn leaves her home in Cornwall to Morane's sister, Gwen. All Rozenn left Morane was a silver compass with her great-grandfather's initials engraved on the back. There was a strained relationship with her sister that was never really explained and the inheritance made it more so. Gwen's life was going great but Morane's not so much. While helping go through her grandmother's things she finds a letter and some photos that spurs her on to find out what Rozenn's life was like during the war, a time that Rozenn never spoke about.

The story is told from Rozenn's point of view in 1941 and the second is Morane's in the present time as she tries to find out about her grandmother. Just as I would become invested in the one story we would jump to the next. It went from view to view pretty seamlessly but I guess I'm getting tired of switching back and forth in books lately.

I found Morane to be kind of pathetic. She had some bad luck and felt sorry for herself most of the time. Rozenn had loved her husband but she was ambitious and became one of the few women architect's in the world designing factories. Along with that ambition I felt she was selfish and I hated the way she treated her sister. One thing that always drives me crazy in books is the spunky female who does reckless things, endangers others by taking needless chances and then is surprised when it all goes wrong.

All in all I did enjoy the book and even though I didn't like or identify with Rozenn or Morane I found them interesting. The small town of St. Martin's sounded beautiful with the views of the coast and the description of the homes.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon UK with providing me a copy of this book.

This is a story told in a dual timeline. One during the German occupation of France and one in the present day.

Rozenn Guillou Caradec is Morane "Morie" Caradec's grandmother who died and left Morie's sister her home and Morie with a silver compass. Resentment aside for her grandmother's slight, Morie finds a partial letter and puzzling photographs that lead Morie to Brittany, France, where her grandmother met her grandfather. A grandfather Morie knew little about along with many other shocking secrets her grandmother held.

In 1941, Rozenn is pulled from Paris to reside in St. Martin in Brittany with her family as they learn to ration their food and keep clear of the Germans who are stationed nearby. Her loyalty to her family is strong as she tries to keep the secrets that could get them arrested. Meeting the handsome and local, Luc Caradec, will change her life forever as her actions that one shameful and fateful night will eventually come to light.

When Morie finds her grandmother's cryptic letters that refer to her temporary home in France, she is determined to find out about Rozenn and what she was hiding. What she finds in the beautiful St. Martin, is a house similar to Rozenn's house in Cornwall, a few nosy, but friendly locals, and a story about sacrifice and betrayal.

Rozenn and Morie are very similar. They are independent, strong, and stubborn women. Their love of architecture and creating beauty is a big part of their lives. And their personal lives are filled with regrets and remorse for things past. Rozenn's story is filled with sadness and some happy moments, but I felt she was a lonely woman throughout her life. She loved her son and her granddaughters and she enjoyed her job, but her guilt from the past weighed on her. Morie also had misfortunes that left her alone and regretful as she strived to keep her head above water and worked hard to have at least a civil relationship with her sister. But as Morie discovers the truth and receives a precious gift that only she would appreciate, it brings closure to her life.

Ms. Graham does a wonderful job placing the reader in Brittany, France with the Germans patrolling the beach and unrolling barbed wire, and in Rozenn's home on a small creek off the Helford estuary on the south coast of Cornwall. Her characters are complex and her plot is intriguing and mysterious, so much so that this reader couldn't wait to find out Rozenn's story and how it related to Morie.

Thank you to Ms. Graham for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I really loved the setting of this story. I could absolutely visualize the longère where Rozenn's family lived for a little while in 1941, the coast, the cliffs, and the cove below. I had a hard time connecting to the characters, but was really interested in finding out what really happened in the past. A fascinating story of family secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness.

You Let Me Go is historical fiction written with a dual timeline of Rozenn, a teenager whose family has to leave Paris during WWII for the coast of Brittany. The other part of the story centers around Morane who was very close to her grandmother Rozenn and after her grandmother dies she finds out her sister Gwen inherits her estate and she is left with only a silver compass! Morane wants to learn more about her grandmother's past after seeing some old photographs and only part of a letter that doesn't make any sense to her. This leads her on a voyage of discovery where she discovers secrets about Rozenn and her family that changed everything!

Two sisters share their grandmother’s estate but why does one get a lovely Cornish house whilst the other inherits a mystery. The story switches from the present day back to occupied France in the Second World War. This is an exciting and very moving story. We eventually find the missing house in France that Morie inherits.Jews, traitors and betrayals happened in the War and Morie finds out the mystery surrounding her part of the inheritance. This is a moving and life affirming story well worth reading.

Morane is left devastated when her grandmother passes away, someone whom she has always been very close to. However, when she discovers she has been left with nothing more than a silver compass by Rozenne, she is left somewhat dismayed and incredibly hurt, especially when she learns that the home in which she shares with her sister Gwen has been left to her, something which even Gwen is confused by.

As both sisters expect there to be some terrible mix up with the will, they begin sorting through Rozenne’s possessions. As they begin clearing things out, they come across a box full of letters and photographs, showing of a life her grandmother had lived in Brittany which is occupied by the Germans. The more Morane digs for details, the more she learns about the dangerous people and events Rozanne has lived through, and she soon learns that the silver compass she was left by her grandmother will in fact point her in the direction of a story that will change everything.

Then we find ourselves in France, within a small village in Brittany where we follow a young Rozenne’s jpourney from this new perspective. Rozenne and her family are certainly living through some troubling times as they navigate their way through life within a country that is no longer allowing them the freedom they once had.

This book is so incredibly written, it reels you in from the start. The storyline is so well structured and full of detail, it is impossible to not find yourself well and truly immersed in the world that the author creates. One of the things I adored about this book is the way in which the story is told through a dual timeline, allowing us to learn more about Rozenne on a much deeper level.

The story is certainly emotionally driven, and you really do feel as though you are embarking on a journey with these fascinating characters. They each have complex, well developed personalities, all of which add so many layers to this brilliant story. This is a book I will certainly recommend to others.

After her grandmother’s death, Morane Caradec embarks on a journey of discovery to try to understand the secrets which have overshadowed her grandmother’s life. Secrets, it must be said, which, until her grandmother’s death, Morane and her family didn’t know existed. From Cornwall, to Brittany, a wartime story of secrets, and family tragedy, starts to emerge, and as Morane delves deeper into the past, so she must come to terms with her own personal troubles.

Told in two distinct time frames, and in two distinct voices, we get to know Morane’s grandmother, Rozenn Caradec, when in 1941 she was a young woman exiled from her life in Paris. From necessity Rozenn’s family had to relocate to a small coastal village in Brittany, a place filled with a sense of mistrust, and which was just as uncertain as life as Paris. In the present time, Morane is facing her own set of difficult circumstances but in trying to make sense of her grandmother’s life, so new opportunities start to open up for her, and give Morane the chance to put the troubles of her own past into perspective.

The author writes well and allows the tension to build gradually so that when the final pieces of the story come together I genuinely cared about what happened to everyone. I felt an immediate attachment to Morane as she started on her emotional journey into the past, however, it is Rozenn’s story where the true heart and soul of the wartime tragedy lies.

You Let Me Go is an emotional, dual time story, which opens up the secrets of the past with a believable authenticity, and strong sense of history.

Reading this book was like slipping on a pair of comfortable, well-worn shoes. It was a well-written read that I was immersed into very quickly.

Graham’s dual narrative follows Rosenn as she and her family leave an occupied Paris for the coast of Brittany. However, with Rosenn and her family is her disabled identical twin, and her weak, older brother, Yann. Yann has gone into hiding to escape being sent to the labour camps; a terrible illness has the family fearing that Yann will not survive. As the small coastal village seems to accept Rosenn and her family, there is the constant worry that Yann will be discovered.

Moving to present day, Rosenn’s granddaughters – Gwen and Morane – are mourning the passing of their grandmother. Puzzled by Gwen inheriting Rosenn’s Cornish barn conversion versus a compass for Morane, Morane is certain that there is more behind Rosenn’s decision. Whilst Morane is financially and emotionally strained, she determines to dig deeper into her grandmother’s past, culminating in a visit to Brittany to find out the truth at last.

Each chapter effortlessly switches between Morane and Rosenn’s story. We gradually learn about what happened during the occupation and I felt like I was sharing the journey of self-discovery with Morane. The descriptions of the coast, both Cornish and French, are idyllic and it proves a calming influence for both female protagonists during such a traumatic time.

I thought this was a very well-written narrative that interested me from the beginning. I was as curious as Morane to understand why Rosenn’s inheritance had been divided in the way that it had. As her past becomes clearer, decisions made more sense with even some surprises along the way as well. It was an immersive story and one that I could not wait to discover all of the answers to.

The theme of isolation and separation determines this narrative. Undeniably, so many experienced this during the Second World War and the fear from Rosenn’s family is palpable. Graham expertly recreates that sense of distrust and understanding the best allegiances through Rosenn’s acquaintances in the village. Furthermore, her relationship with her twin sister, Claire, is quite heart-breaking, especially when the story reaches its dramatic climax.

I do enjoy historical fiction, even more so when they switch between past and present. I could understand the emotions that Morane experiences in this narrative and loved watching her discover a new side to her French grandmother that she was completely unaware of.

With thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful historical novel, set in France during WWII occupation by Germany. The story is written in two time frames, the other being present day England.
It’s an intriguing tale of a families escape to stay safe in occupied France and the people they lived with and met, looking for ways to survive the war. The dangers they faced, while trying to protect each other until the wars conclusion, were at times dramatic and dangerous
. We see the hardships they endured and the dangers they encountered, protecting a dangerous secret that could harm them all, not knowing who can be trusted.
The timelines alternate, and in the present, Rozeen’s death and her will, open up the many things her family didn’t know about her earlier years, or the family they never met. When Granddaughter Morane learns that her sister Gwen has inherited the estate, Morri flees to Cornwall to try and fill in the many questions regarding Rozeen’s former life and family, of which they knew little.
Eliza Graham is a skilled storyteller and her research into the era was significant. Well developed and interesting characters, make for a wonderful read.
My thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC all comments are my own opinions. I gave it five stars, I loved the story.

Two granddaughters are grieving for Rozenn Guillou Caradec, their dearly loved grandmother but only one granddaughter has inherited the home in Cornwall. Morane (Morie) wants to be happy for her sister Gwen but can't escape the twinges of jealousy as she remembers that her grandmother did seem almost desperate to communicate something to her during that last visit but simply could not. Was Morane's grandmother trying to teach her one more lesson in leaving her an old silver compass

A mesmerizing account of a grandmother's past that is beautifully interwoven with the present as Morane discovers remnants of a letter hinting that there are answers simply waiting to be revealed. I felt my heart beating faster in wonder as it seemed that the answers were in St. Martin, France but how could Morane travel at a critical time for her business? I was totally absorbed with each step and with each decision of Morane's wanting to read as quickly as possible ever hopeful for the grandmother's past to be understood and yet reading carefully mindful that I was invested in the ease of her granddaughters' grieving hearts.

I found this expression of grief very meaningful as it captures so many heartfelt feelings that are hard to admit and share with others.

“Everything I thought I wanted most was gone and I didn’t yet know how to replace it, to fill my life up again.”

The transition between the past of WWII and present-day is so skillfully written that there are no knots in the threads of the storytelling. It is one of the most beautiful compositions portraying the intricacies of daily life in WWII while presenting a story transitioning seamlessly between past and present. Historical fiction this flawless helps us as readers understand the choices made were difficult as each choice made could change the possibilities of survival, choices made by family members could be different dependent on their role (parent/child/sibling) or relationship (parent/child, parent/parent, sibling/sibling, doctor/patient, friends), and that each person can experience the same event but have different remembrances and different ways of coping to move beyond the traumatic experiences.

My sincere thanks to Eliza Graham, Lake Union Publishing (Amazon US) for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#YouLetMeGo #NetGalley

I received a ARC copy of “ You Let Me Go” from the Author and the publisher through Net Galley. Thanks to all.
“Let Me Go” follows one of the plot devices common in many current novels : a story that moves from now into the past, fueled by the death of a relative and the discovery of an object or letter linked to a mysterious past life.so get ready for chapters that vary in place, time and protagonist .
Morane is dismayed at the death of her beloved grandmother Rozenne, to whom she was very close. But Morane is dumbfounded when inherits nothing more than the engraved compass her grandmother was holding in her hand at the time of her death. Obviously it meant a great deal to Rozenne, but neither Morane nor her sister Gwen ever recalled seeing . Morane is upset that the home in which she has live with her sister for years was left entirely to Gwen, even Gwen is amazed; both think that there was some oversight in the will, but no. as Morane goes through her grandmother’s things , she also finds letters and photos of her grandmother’s past unknown to anyone else. A past in German occupied Brittany, in which her grandmother was involved with dangerous people and events. The engraved compass points the way to life the granddaughter never imagined her grandmother led.

Here the setting shifts to occupied France, to a village in Brittany. We are introduced to the youthful Rozenne and her. Family. The German iron hand is begging to be felt, as young Frenchmen are conscripted into labor battalions and neighbors are arrested for anti- German talk. With this , the author sets her plot in motion, and the novel flows and expands.. Morane goes to France to find out all she can about those dark days and her grandmother’s part in them. MS Graham gives us a good principal character, or characters, and an interesting scenario. I thought that the chapters featuring the French village were the best part of the book? The historical setting of a small village in Brittany laboring under the Nazis oppression brings the reader an idea of the daily struggle facing the French and the danger for those who resisted. I am not much of a fan of switching times and principal voices, but the author used them to let the story tell itself, as it were. It is a good story , so I cannot spoil it with more of a synopsis , and well written.
I recommend the book with the caution that the reader be patient as the story take a bit of time to get going. Once it does, it is worth the reader’s time and attention.
Summary: a good story ,well written and enjoyable. Content warnings: not much to offend,. Some romantic love, some violence, since the book is about wartime France.

At first glance, this is yet another dual time line story set in modern day and in France during World War II. What the reader gets is so much more than that. This is a book about love, respect, family and betrayal in both time periods. It has strong loving families, a bit of mystery and a bit of romance - what more can you ask for in a good book.

Present time: Morane and her sister, Gwen. both adored their grandmother, Rozenn. She was always there for the sisters, took them to Paris and her home in Cornwell was their favorite place to visit. She was a strong but isolated woman who refused to talk about her past. When she died, she left her beautiful home in to Gwen and only left a gold compass to Morane. Morane was devastated at the turn of events but decided to make the best of it and help her sister redecorate the house. She finds some pictures and a partial letter that she's never seen before and decides to find out more about her grandmother's past in France during the war. What she finds is painful and she must learn to live with the truth.

1941. Rosenn and her family move from Paris to a small town in Brittany to save her brother from being put back into the German army or into a camp. As the family tries to keep her brother hidden, they are surrounded by German troops and nosy neighbors who want to learn more about the doctor's family that has moved from Paris. Rosenn's brother means the world to her and she starts working with some shady characters to get her brother out of France and safely to England. The deeper she gets into her plans, the more dangerous it becomes for her family. When she makes a split second decision, it changes the course of her entire life and that of her family.

This was an interesting look at a grandmother and her granddaughter and how they approached their lives and losses. I preferred the modern day story to the WWII story because I didn't particularly like Rosenn but I understood how the regrets of past affected the person that she became. The two story lines are both well written and give us more of an understanding of both women and their connections in different times.

My only problem with his book is that the first 20% is very slow. I almost gave up reading it but am very glad that I kept on and was rewarded with a great story.

You Let Me Go is not my usual genre. I found the cover appealing and thought I would give this book a go. I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed it. It was a slow burner at the start but I continued with it enjoying the vivid detail and characters.
It tells the story of Rozenn and her grand daughter Morane. Morane doesn't understand why her grandmother's house was left to her sister and not to both of them. She goes in search of what happened to her grandmother during her earlier years in France.
It is well written in a dual timeline, each chapter alternating the two viewpoints. Morane is present day Cornwall and Rozenn is from 1941 and the Nazi occupation of France in WW2. The story gave an insight into their own struggles in life, Morane and her financial and business and Rozenn and her family relationships. The book was full of mystery and suspense, family drama and heartbreak. I found the characters very interesting and descriptions vivid. It brought an authentic feel to France and Cornwall.
I would definitely recommend this to others.
A story full of family drama and suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

Book description:
A secret family history of love, anguish and betrayal.
After her beloved grandmother Rozenn’s death, Morane is heartbroken to learn that her sister is the sole inheritor of the family home in Cornwall—while she herself has been written out of the will. With both her business and her relationship with her sister on the rocks, Morane becomes consumed by one question: what made Rozenn turn her back on her?
When she finds an old letter linking her grandmother to Brittany under German occupation, Morane escapes on the trail of her family’s past. In the coastal village where Rozenn lived in 1941, she uncovers a web of shameful secrets that haunted Rozenn to the end of her days. Was it to protect those she loved that a desperate Rozenn made a heartbreaking decision and changed the course of all their lives forever?
Morane goes in search of the truth but the truth can be painful. Can she make her peace with the past and repair her relationship with her sister?