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.

This author did an amazing job of making a families tragic story turn into the happiest of endings. This book will really tug at your heart strings. One of my favorite historical fiction books I have ever read.

This was such a lovely story about an orphaned Jewish girl dying ww2. I’m so glad she got her happily ever after and was able to save her vineyard with her king lost legacy. I’m also glad that the female main character was able to get her happily ever after with a noble Frenchman that actually knew how to treat her right.
My only complaint about this book was a reference to the spice girls in 1990. They weren’t even a group yet, they formed in 1994.

Thank you @netgalley and @harperPerennial for the eARC of The French Winemaker’s Daughter by @lorettaellsworth_author in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 A vineyard in Burgundy 1942, seven year old Martine hides in an armoire as she watches her father be taken by the Nazis. Loretta Ellsworth creates an inspiring female lead that shines with bravery and resiliency that keeps her alive in arguably one of the most terrifying times in history. Paris 1990, like our young Martine, Charlotte also has an exquisite palate for wine, passed down through her family. When a rare box of wine confiscated by Nazis goes up for auction, Charlotte is intrigued by the dusty bottle that opens up an absolutely remarkable window to the past in a mysterious note. The French Winemaker’s Daughter is a beautiful and moving tale that transcends time and inspires a sense of hope in even the most hopeless circumstances.

4/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

It was alright. Only worth a sentence review which is the worst thing you can achieve.
Some books are just so painfully unremarkable and fail to do anything new or inspiring with their genre and the winemakers daughter is one of those. Not good not bad not special in anyway.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for my E-ARC! I genuinely enjoyed this story! It was such an easy, quick, read and it hit all the marks. I found it a bit predictable, but was still able to enjoy. I would just fact check some historical references mentioned in regard to 1990- Spice girls were not a thing yet- and there is a reference to them. A few other things crossed my mind but this one stood out the most.