Well written, interesting read showcasing two time periods and how history intertwines. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

This book was excellent! The two time periods and intertwining of the modern day and World War 2 era was done very smoothly. You were also rooting for the main character the whole time.

I normally shy away from historical fiction, it's not my vibe and I typically have issues getting into the storylines. History and I have... well, a history. This book, however, is one of those told from two timelines (the past and the present) and was just so lovingly crafted, it had a grip on my heart from the first chapter.

I have several books I read all at the same time, and usually switch between them as my whimsy carries me. However, this book has me entranced and I put all the others aside until this one was finished. Beautiful story.

I really enjoyed the two time period stories woven together. This book held my attention the entire time and it was hard to put down.

1.5 stars

The barebones of the book was there. Ellsworth had the right idea, but the execution was not great.

I am a sucker for all things WWII, and this story was fun. However, the writing just was not up to par. Additionally, Charlotte was not all that likable. I love a strong woman lead, especially a pilot! But, Ellsworth made her freak out a lot for no reason. Also, maybe it’s just me, but constant comparison of an American WWII veterans experience to a literally child holocaust survivor was an odd choice. It really played into the “annoying American/everything revolves around me” trope.

And, spoiler, switching the wines? Really?

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for an ARC of this book. The following is my personal opinion.

I love WWII historical fiction so this book was right up my alley. The plot seemed pretty obvious from the beginning, but I think that was the point. I enjoyed the characters and watching them develop.

It was a quick, easy read and I recommend it if you're not looking for too deep of a plot.

I enjoyed this book. It was nice to have the different point of views and different time periods. It shows how much has been experienced and the gratification of knowing that it has a happy ending, even though other stories similar to this more than likely happened during this time.

4.25/5 ⭐️

This story follows Martine, a nine year old French girl on her journey throughout WW2, and Charlotte, a middle-aged pilot who travels to Paris frequently.

I loved the two different perspectives that both of the main characters brought to this novel, and how their stories intertwined together. Martine’s story is all too realistic of those times and puts a different perspective of how children of her religion were treated during World War II.

Would recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction- a heavy, but quick read.

Loved this story! Interesting how life can sometimes come Full circle! This is quite the story of young women finding what she didn't know she wanted. Entertaining at best.

One of the very best WWII novels I have ever read!

A heartwarming, at times heart-wrenching, story of a young Jewish girl who escapes from the Nazis and is sheltered in a Catholic convent by a member of the French Resistance posing as a nun.

In a simultaneously woven but separate plot, told from the perspective of a modern female pilot struggling in a male-dominated world, a young woman acquires a rare and extremely valuable bottle of wine with a false label and intriguing note hidden underneath.

Determined to discover the identity of the father who wrote the concealed note, claiming the bottle would provide for his daughter, the pilot--who frequently flies to Paris--slowly unravels the mystery as the intricately developed plot unfolds.

A truly spectacular read!

This was a very good book. The author described just enough for me to picture what was happening. It was the perfect amount of details in the story! It had an excellent ending. There was betrayal, loss and several love stories with the characters.

This book was ok, but I’ve read a ton of wwii back and forth in time perspectives that seem the same, and it was easy to figure out Elisabeth was really Martine early on, so it robbed the story of an emotional punch.

“The French Winemaker’s Daughter” by Loretta Ellsworth was an amazing book. As soon as I started reading, I wanted to stay up to see how the story ended. I have read a few historical fictions, but this story had me from the start. The story begins during WWII with Martine a young Jewish girl who must hide from the Germans in an armoire as her father is dragged from their vineyard. Then the story flashes forward to 1990 when an American airline pilot, Charlotte attends an auction in Paris where a friend buys several bottles on wine. Charlotte uncovers that one of the bottles is valuable and she wants to learn more about the specific vineyard and family that owned it during the war. This was a powerful story about family and love. I definitely recommend this read. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial as I really enjoyed this book.

I quite enjoyed this novel set in Paris and the vineyards in France. The plot alternated between a young girl, Martine, and her life during WW2, and a more current day setting (1990) for Charlotte, a pilot who sets out to learn the story behind a valuable bottle of wine and of a young girl during the late years of WW2. While the storyline was a bit predictable, I found Martine's story to be more captivating and would enjoy knowing more of her story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I always learn so much when I read historical fiction. I find myself Googling events and places and people. Our story begins in the 1940's with a French Jewish winemaker and his daughter at a time when Jews were being rounded up. The father is taken away, but not before he hides his daughter in an armoire with a note pinned to her and a bottle of wine that he tells her to ensure she keeps with her to secure her future. We also have a woman in the early 1990's. She is a pilot who's grandfather pwned a vineyard and she spends a lot of her time in Paris as it is her favorite place to be. It was fascinating to see how this story unfolds and how their lives intersect.

A cleverly written story…. about a young girl hidden by the nuns in France during the Nazi invasion and an American pilot looking for the rightful owner of a bottle of wine. Interwoven is the story of French resistance, life in the abbey, and in orphanages in France from 1942 until the liberation of Paris. A love connection makes the story more interesting. Title characters are real. A quick and interesting read.

Enjoyable read even though a predictable story line. Descriptions of the WWII Natzi invasion and occupation in France were interestingly represented. Martine’s life and how she was saved was memorable and heartfelt. Charlotte was an annoying character to me. Full of herself as a woman pilot with many struggles to prove herself in predominately a “male’s” occupation. Julien’ was quite forgiving of Charlotte’s accusations, in my opinion. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks-Harper Paperbacks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #TheFrenchWinemaker’sDaughter.#NetGalley.

“The French Winemaker’s Daughter” by Loretta Ellsworth was one of those novels I found myself thinking about throughout the day and longing to get back to reading.

The story opens with Martine, a seven year old French Jewish girl who lives on a vineyard with her father during World War II. When the Germans come to take him away, Martine is hidden away in an armoire. Her journey throughout the book completely captivated me and really left me in suspense between chapters.

The dual POV was set in 1990 and told from the perspective of Charlotte, an airplane captain who goes with her beau to a wine auction where he bids on a crate of wine. Unbeknownst to him, the bottle of wine he gifts Charlotte is actually worth a significant amount of money— and more.

Martine’s story was so well done and I found myself anxiously waiting to get to her chapters. Charlotte’s perspective propelled the story forward, but her storyline did read a bit redundantly. I know that it was 1990 and it was uncommon for women to work in male-dominated fields, but hearing that she was the only female pilot and that her biological clock was ticking began to feel a bit like a broken record. I would have liked an epilogue to see how things wrapped up in the future.

I would still give this book five stars in spite of Charlotte’s occasional whinging because it was a great story, and very important in a time where too many people doubt that the Holocaust even happened. It comes out in December 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the advanced reader copy.

This is a dual time and narrative story set in WWII and 1990. Seven year old Jew, Martine is placed in an armoire by her father to hide from the Germans. He leaves her a bottle of wine from their vineyard and tells her not to come out until it’s safe. As she runs from the Germans to escape to Paris to her Aunt’s home, she drops the bottle and leaves it behind. She is found in Paris.by a nun and taken to the abbey to be nursed back to health and to live as a Catholic.
In 1990, Charlotte, a pilot, goes to an auction and ends up with a bottle of wine given to her by a boyfriend, she discovers there is a fake label and when she removes it, she discovers a handwritten note from a father to his daughter.
Charlotte begins to research and find the family the bottle belongs to. It takes her to lots of country wineries and she meets some new people along the way that help her to realize that family and history can bring serendipity to one’s life.

I liked this book, but wish it had been longer. It was a fast read. I wish there had been some more background about Martine’s father, Sister Ada and Andre. They were mostly peripheral characters and I would have liked to know more about them. The book was also quite predictable. It didn’t take long to figure out how it was all going to work out. The WWII genre is so over saturated, that it really takes something different and special to make a lasting impression.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC for my honest review.

This is a riveting and emotional story that intertwines a connection between two women from different times and ultimately even different countries. The historical aspect of this book was very interesting and gave unique information than that of your typical world war ll book. However, it was quite predictable early on about how the women’s stories would end up connecting, but not in a bad way. Overall, it was well written with only a couple parts that I felt didn’t go with the storyline.