First published 2010
A young American couple steps off the train in postwar France, their suitcases heavy with dreams of a perfect European holiday. The year is 1948, and they have arranged to stay at Chateau Beaumesnil, expecting the warmth and charm they associate with French hospitality. Instead, they find a countryside still scarred by war and people who regard these eager Americans with suspicion and reserve. The chateau's reception proves far chillier than the couple anticipated. Their hosts remain distant and guarded, offering little of the open friendship the Americans had hoped to find. As days pass at Beaumesnil, the couple must confront the gap between their romantic expectations and the harsh realities of a Europe still healing from conflict. The story explores how war changes not just landscapes but hearts, and how good intentions cannot always bridge the distances between cultures and experiences.
Genres: drama, historical-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: culture-clash, fish-out-of-water
Setting: France
Period: 1948
416 pages · Kindle Edition · Vintage Digital