The Tapestry of Love

by Rosy Thornton

A warm and uplifting story of how a woman falls in love with a place and its people: a landscape, a community and a fragile way of life.

A rural idyll: that's what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you're no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbours, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that's before the arrival of Catherine's sister, Bryony...

• ISBN10: 0755345576
• ISBN13: 9780755345571
• Publish Date: 14 October 2010 (first published 8 July 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
• Imprint: Headline Review
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

I thought this was a really nice story. Catherine is an older woman embarking on an adventure. She picks up her life and moves it from England to a rural part of France, a national park, where the roads are narrow, the mountains are high, the houses are few and far between, and the sheep are plentiful. She makes an interesting character — bold in some ways, timid in others, and oftentimes too stubborn for her own good. Especially where her neighbor, the friendly but private Patrick Castagnol, is concerned. Catherine also likes to put her head in the sand from time to time, and we all know that never leads to good things.

I really enjoyed Catherine’s supporting cast, especially her other neighbors, Monsieur and Madame Bouschet. They really made the novel come alive for me, because they’re the type of neighbors we all wish we had.

Overall, this was a great read, with a believable storyline and an ending that is happy without being overdone. Between the people and the scenery, there’s a lot to love.

[Leah]

In lieu of an official review (I can't review it, I didn't finish it), I'd just like to say that although I've given it 1 star it's probably not a 1 star read.

I just couldn't get into it at all, it was just too slow for my liking and I just felt the plot wasn't going any where. I persevered for perseverance's sake but I just couldn't continue. I think the book was just too "old" for me, if you will, and I don't think I could fully appreciate the plot or the writing.

I'll keep my copy of the novel and will see if it appeals any time in the future!