Told in two timelines (1940 and present day), The Girl from Normandy is the story of survival, grief, and courage.
The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey
Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1940) and Present Day, WWII, Resistance Movement, Normandy (France)
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My Summary:
Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheGirlFromNormandy upon my request. All opinions are my own.
Told in two timelines (1940 and present day), The Girl from Normandy is the story of survival, grief, and courage.
In 1940, Marie-Claire loses her husband and young son as they attempt to escape occupied Paris. Her husband dies in front of her, and to keep her son safe, she passes him to a friend on a train that is headed to the country. Marie-Claire is rescued by a stranger who escorts her to a nearby farm where she grieves her losses, works in a cafe, and finds herself caught up in the Resistance Movement.
In the present day, Esther visits her dear friends who live in a Normandy village and discovers an old, annotated recipe book. Fascinated, she suspects that the farm and members of the family might have been involved in the resistance. Esther works to unravel the mystery.
My Thoughts:
Dual Timelines
As usual in a dual timeline story, one timeline is more compelling than the other. In this case, I loved the 1940 timeline and following the life of Marie-Claire. The old cookbook connects the two timelines. At the story’s end, the two timelines intersect in surprising ways.
Themes
WWII stories always involve themes of resilience, bravery, loss, grief, and hope. It makes me wonder what I would have done in similar circumstances. Stories from the past certainly build empathy for what individuals in war-torn countries are facing in 2025. Will war ever end?
Uplifting Conclusion
You will be happy with the satisfying conclusion! (no spoilers)
Content Consideration: Death, grief, war
Recommending The Girl from Normandy:
Fans of dual timeline stories set during WWII and present day will enjoy speculating about how the timelines connect in this compelling story.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Meet the Author of The Girl from Normandy, Rachel Sweasey
Rachel Sweasey is a historical fiction novelist. She lives in Australia, but bases her fiction in Poole, Dorset, where she grew up and which provides the inspiration for her WW2 stories. Rachel writes dual time-line stories, and is inspired by the writing of Kate Morton. Rachel’s first book, The Last Boat Home, features the Poole RNLI lifeboat and the part it played in the Dunkirk evacuation, and also a delicious love affair on the shores of a gorgeous Mediterranean bay on the Cote d’Azur.
Rachel’s second book, The Island Girls, released on 21st October 2024 and also features Poole with a focus on the flying boats that operated in the harbour during WW2. Beautiful Brownsea Island is an important part of the setting where an Australian ranger, Rebekah, learns secrets that tie Poole to her home in Brisbane.
The third of Rachel’s WW2 stories, The Girl from Normandy, follows the journey of a young woman, Marie-Claire, who suffers tragic loss at the hands Nazi violence in Paris in 1940. Marie-Claire follows her destiny to Normandy where she fights with the resistance. The Girl from Normandy releases on 27th June 2025.
Rachel is working on another set of three books, also set in Poole but around the WW1 period. The first of these will include connections with the Titanic and the tragedy of its loss.
You can follow Rachel on Facebook and Instagram by searching for RachelSweaseyAuthor, and there you’ll find a link to sign up for her newsletter. Rachel’s website is rachelsweasey.com.
QOTD:
Do you enjoy dual timeline stories?
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