I have read many historic fiction novels on WWII, even a few about the vineyards during this same period, but not one captured me like "The French Winemaker's Daughter." I fell in love with Martine and Charlotte immediately. Paris is my favorite place in the world, so it wasn't hard to capture my attention, but as a mother, Martine is someone I wanted to gather into my arms for her bravery right at the start of the novel.

I loved that Charlotte was a pilot, making her a brave soul as well, to enter such a paternalistic society and succeed. Add in Sister Ada and this story comes to life with women that have the courage and strength to fight back when most would falter. Many World War II stories do not have happy endings for the Jewish community. It was a pleasure to read Loretta Ellsworth's novel and read the last page with a smile on my face!

I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks they have read all their is about Word War II historical novels.

This book features a captivating storyline that showcases other countries during WW2. Many WW2 focused books tend focus into the German experience which made this book more unique. There are alternating POV's from two different timelines. This unfortunately takes away from Martine's storyline. I found myself more invested in Martine and less for Charlotte. The structure of POV's made it a bit confusing. Though the richness of history and focusing on France really made it a great read. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5. I am leaving 4/5 stars due to rounding up*

I simply loved this book! It was a precious story about love, loss, resilience, faith and fate. I enjoyed how the stories were intertwined, and it was like real life. Sometimes there are happy endings and sometimes there are not. But sometimes there are! I thought the writing was very well done. Thanks to the publisher for an opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

Great full circle story about a lost bottle of wine. Nice modern love story woven into the mix. As compared to other WWII novels, this one is on the lighter side telling the story of a woman re-uniting with a lost bottle of wine from her family's winery.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! I branched out of my comfort zone with this one, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel. I wasn't a big fan of the main character, Charlotte. She seemed flawed, which I can accept, I love a good main character who's flawed. But Charlotte spent the entire story stubbornly holding onto those flaws and she seemed like a stagnant character. The only thing interesting about her was her bond with the second main character, Martine/Elisabeth. I also felt as if the author had a way of telling the story rather than showing the story. There wasn't much depth to the scenes. Martine's story I can understand because it's told from the pov of a child. And I felt like her chapters were very well done. But Charlotte's story also lacked depth in description. There were often times the author would write things like, "I need to sit down" instead of describing how shocking the news is for the character. Or describing how the character felt.

All that being said though, I still enjoyed the story and would read it again.

Wow, what an incredible immersive story of a French girl during World War II. I loved the back and forth between the young Martine and the present time with Charlotte. Ms. Ellsworth paints such a vivid scene of some of history's darkest times. I absolutely adored this book, and will cherish the characters with me for some time. This would not only be a great book for a bookclub but also for maybe high school history teachers. Props to an amazing book. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

I love a good WW2 story so I had high hopes for this one, unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.
I loved the multiple POVs as well as the resilience, courage and strength of both the FMCs. Despite that, I found myself feeling frustrated with Charlotte for the vast majority of her story. She couldn’t speak French but managed several fluent conversations and virtually every chapter mentioned she was a female pilot. I understand the importance of such a career at that time, yet all the mentions felt repetitive to me.
I enjoyed the resolution of the story, I was glad Martine had a ‘full circle’ moment. The premise of the book was great & overall it was a nice, easy read.

I received The French Winemaker's Daughter by Loretta Ellsworth from Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story is told by two women living years apart and both viewpoints were engaging, and I kept reading long into the night. Martine is seven years old when her father is taken by the German's. A neighbor agrees to take Martine to the train so she can go to her aunts in Paris. Somehow, she gets to Paris, but her aunt is no longer there. She is befriended along the way and eventually lives with nuns. Meanwhile, Charlotte who is an airline pilot living in France bids on a box of wine with her boyfriend Henri. Charlotte is given a seemingly innocent bottle of wine, but perhaps it is not that at all. The mystery of the wine takes Charlotte on a tour of vineyards and in the process, she meets Julien and his mother. A far-fetched, yet delightful book, a quick read and 4 stars for me.

Easy to read this compelling story. I'd known about the Nazis taking wine, but hadn't thought about how the good wine was, hopefully, protected and hidden. I enjoyed The French Winemaker's Daughter.

A review of “The French Winemaker’s Daughter by Loretta Ellsworth.”
Allow me to premise this review by saying, I love Historical Fiction books - especially those set during WWII and this one did not disappoint. Is it a literary masterpiece? No. But it is a captivating, easy read that’s hard to put down.
The dual timeline narrative, skillfully woven between the lives of Martine and Charlotte.
Martine is a seven-year-old Jewish girl during. She lived with her father on their vineyard in Nazi-occupied France. When her father is captured by the Nazis, Martine clings to a bottle of wine he gave her with the instruction to bring it to her Aunt in Paris as a means of survival. However, when she hears soldiers approaching, she drops the bottle. Martine cannot find her father’s worker that was to bring her to Aunt but her journey is filled with obstacles.
The second timeline is set in 1990. Charlotte, a pilot living in France, attends a wine auction with her date, who is a wine collector. He purchases 5 bottles. He saves two that are valuable and after drinking the other two he gives Charlotte the other one. The next day she discovers a cryptic note hidden beneath a wine label.
Intrigued by the mention of a young girl in the note, Charlotte sets out on a path to uncover her fate.
The novel vividly depicts resilience in the face of adversity. The characters are unforgettable, and their narratives evoke strong emotions. I will be reading more by this author.
Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins and Loretta Ellsworth for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars. As an avid reader of WW2 historical fictions, this was one of the most intriguing one I've read in a while. A take on the 'present day character finds an artifact and must investigate' trope, Loretta Ellsworth's 'The French Winemaker's Daughter,' follows two storylines: 1940s Martine and 1990s Charlotte. In the 90s, Charlotte is gifted a bottle of vintage wine by her lover. The bottle turns out to conceal a hidden surprise, which turns us to Martine's story line of a young Jewish girl surviving in France during the Nazi occupation.

For WW2 historical fictions, this one is pretty tame. Martine's story line, while devastating, takes place primarily in an abbey surrounded by Catholic nuns. Martine largely avoids concentration camps and violence - with a few exceptions. There's also a romance plot line, some drama with the wine-gifter, and a theme of familial obligations versus personal passions.

Overall, very captivating read and highly recommend for someone wanting to dip their toe into the WW2 historical fiction genre.

** Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC.

A riveting story about German occupation of France during WWII and a young American pilot who is captivated by a young girl's story. I was sucked in from page one and didn't want to put this book down. Martine was a great character that was easy to love and even though he was a side character, I really loved Julien as well. I learned some new things which is what I love about historical fiction.

Were there some problems with the writing? Sure, but they were so minimal that it didn't take away from the story. I am now going to look for the other book by Mrs. Ellsworth because this one was so good.

It’s an interesting read. Follows Martine ,a young Jewish girl who survives the holocaust as she stays hidden in a convent. 50 years later , in 1990 , another young woman Charlotte is trying to uncover what happened to Martine

There are definitely problems with this book. But the surprising thing is, they really don’t matter. In the end, this is a compelling read that’s hard to put down.

There are two story lines. The first is about the young Jewish girl Martine, who was growing up in France during the German occupation of World War II. Just before her father was taken away by the Nazis, he hid her in an armoire with a rare bottle of wine that would be used to pay for her upbringing.

The second story line is in 1990. Charlotte is a pilot for a commercial airline. Through a series of events she gets the bottle of wine that was once in the possession of the random girl during WWII.

Charlotte then begins a journey to find the former owner of the wine.

A decent enough storyline.

Here are the challenges:

1. The writing: I wouldn’t say it’s the most eloquent writing in the world. It’s a solid “good enough”.

2. The surprise: I’m not sure if the author wanted to have a big reveal in the end. I kinda think she did. However, it’s pretty easy to figure out what’s happening fairly early on in the book. So there’s not a lot of surprise.

But here’s the thing: despite those two challenges, it still is a compelling book to read and I’m glad I did.

#netgalley #thefrenchwinemakersdaughter

A powerful story of family and the connections made by time. A young girl left on her own in 1942 after the Nazis take her father, starts this story. But her father had pinned a note on her dress and gave her a bottle of wine from their vineyard. In 1990 a woman gets a bottle of wine from her then boyfriend, purchased at an auction. This bottle was saved from the German occupation during WWII. As the story moves between 1942 and 1990, you can feel the connections forming.
I enjoyed this story and how the two women come together. Doing the right thing brings closure to both families,

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Paperbacks for access to the eARC!
⭐️4.5⭐️
This sucked me in on page 1 and I never say that. The story of little Martine makes you want to never stop reading. The atmosphere and characters are fully developed in the fast paced, WW2 storyline and I’m here for it. My only hesitation about giving this 5 stars was the 1990 storyline of Charlotte. Don’t get me wrong it’s good and don’t let what I’m about to say stop you from reading this because it’s sooooooo good…but Charlotte’s chapters felt clunky. And her internal dialogue was incredibly repetitive it was starting to become annoying.

This will be published in December 2024 so make a note to add it to your TBR list.

Absolutely loved this story. The way it was written made me feel like I was apart of the characters’ lives and living through all the drama and adversity.
The characters are memorable and the storyline is one that will live in my mind for awhile. The historical aspect is one that drew in so much attention and focus. I cannot wait to see what else the author comes up with in the future.

I really enjoyed this book! Set during the waning years of WWII in rural France and using alternating chapters, also in 1990s France (mostly Paris), the story involves a seven-year-old Jewish girl named Martine left on her own as the Nazis attack her family's village. Martine's father makes her hide in an armoire with her beloved stuffed rabbit, Annabella, and a bottle of wine from their vineyard with a note pinned to her dress that has her aunt's address in Paris. Martine's father is captured, the village is ransacked, and Martine escapes to the nearby forest, losing the precious bottle of wine. She eventually makes it to Paris, but her aunt is not there; she ends up at the Hotel Druout, where she is taken in by Sister Ada.

In 1990 Paris, a U.S. airline captain named Charlotte is about to attend a wine auction at with her current beau, a Frenchman named Henri. The auction is being held at the Hotel Druout, now a famous auction house in Paris. Henri buys a box of collectible wine, and he later gives Charlotte a bottle, which starts a quest to find out its origins.

This is one of those historical fiction novels that you really don't want to give anything away plot-wise, because part of the joy for the reader is discovering what happens. Suffice it to say that this is a fascinating story with memorable characters.

Without divulging too much, the reasons I gave the novel only four stars are a few nitpicky observations that might not bother most readers.

All in all, I highly recommend this book for readers interested in wine, WWII and family relationships.

A really good historical fiction. This book keeps the reader engaged, and really pulls at your heart. It really makes you feel. An easy read that takes you through time, and leaves you feeling good with a happy ending, The only complaint I have is The Spice Girls were not a group yet, but other than that an excellent read.

The story is about Martine, a young Jewish girl who lives with her father on their vineyard in Nazi-occupied France. When her father is captured by the Nazis, Martine clings to a bottle of wine he gave to her to bring to her Aunt in Paris as a means of survival. However, when she hears approaching soldiers, she drops the bottle. Martine cannot find her Father’s worker that was to bring her to Paris so she turns to neighbors that reluctantly assist her. Once in Paris she finds her Aunt is no longer there and she is on her own. Sister Ada finds her and brings her to the convent where she finds refuge.
In 1990, Charlotte, a pilot living in France, attends a wine auction with her date , who is a wine collector. He purchases a lot of 5 bottles. He saves two that are valuable and after drinking the other two he gives Charlotte the other one. The next day she discovers a cryptic note hidden beneath a wine label. Intrigued by the mention of a young girl in the note, Charlotte sets out on a journey to uncover her fate. The novel is paints a vivid picture of resilience amidst adversity. The characters are memorable, and their stories are deeply moving. I extend my gratitude to Netgalley and #HarperCollinsPublishers for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC. Although this is my first encounter with the author's work, I eagerly wait for her next novel.