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The Virgin Blue
Meet Ella Turner and Isabelle du Moulin—two women born centuries apart, yet bound by a fateful family legacy. When Ella and her husband move to a small town in France, Ella hopes to brush up on her French, qualify to practice as a midwife, and start a family of her own. Village life turns out to be less idyllic than she expected, however, and a peculiar dream of the color blue propels her on a quest to uncover her family’s French ancestry. As the novel unfolds—alternating between Ella’s story and that of Isabelle du Moulin four hundred years earlier—a common thread emerges that unexpectedly links the two women. Part detective story, part historical fiction, The Virgin Blue is a novel of passion and intrigue that compels readers to the very last page.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Tracy Chevalier
33 books10.7k followersBorn:
19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.
Childhood:
Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
Education:
BA in English, Oberlin College, Ohio, 1984. No one was surprised that I went there; I was made for such a progressive, liberal place.
MA in creative writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1994. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can be taught to write. Why doesn’t anyone ask that of professional singers, painters, dancers? That year forced me to write all the time and take it seriously.
Geography:
Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship – though I keep the American accent intact.
Family:
1 English husband + 1 English son.
Career:
Before writing, was a reference book editor, working on encyclopedias about writers. (Yup, still nerdy.) Learned how to research and how to make sentences better. Eventually I wanted to fix my own sentences rather than others’, so I quit and did the MA.
Writing:
Talked a lot about becoming a writer as a kid, but actual pen to paper contact was minimal. Started writing short stories in my 20s, then began first novel, The Virgin Blue, during the MA year. With Girl With a Pearl Earring (written in 1998), I became a full-time writer.
19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.
Childhood:
Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
Education:
BA in English, Oberlin College, Ohio, 1984. No one was surprised that I went there; I was made for such a progressive, liberal place.
MA in creative writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1994. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can be taught to write. Why doesn’t anyone ask that of professional singers, painters, dancers? That year forced me to write all the time and take it seriously.
Geography:
Moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984. I had studied for a semester in London and thought it was a great place, so came over for fun, expecting to go back to the US after 6 months to get serious. I’m still in London, and still not entirely serious. Even have dual citizenship – though I keep the American accent intact.
Family:
1 English husband + 1 English son.
Career:
Before writing, was a reference book editor, working on encyclopedias about writers. (Yup, still nerdy.) Learned how to research and how to make sentences better. Eventually I wanted to fix my own sentences rather than others’, so I quit and did the MA.
Writing:
Talked a lot about becoming a writer as a kid, but actual pen to paper contact was minimal. Started writing short stories in my 20s, then began first novel, The Virgin Blue, during the MA year. With Girl With a Pearl Earring (written in 1998), I became a full-time writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,119 reviews
October 31, 2022
Told with a minimum amount of melodrama, and bestselling with limited amounts of hype, Tracy Chevalier's debut novel is quite a nice and tidy effort. The whole split level (the main story in the present intersects with a related story set in the past) storytelling device is executed pretty well, and I definitely cared where the stories and the characters in both eras went.
Interesting the whole 'write what you know' approach has Chevalier taking a young American to France, and has strong themes around her/the character's love of history and art; it could be argued that the historical context of this story is the pull that makes this book a good read? A well deserved solid Three Star, 7.5 out of 12.
2007 read
Interesting the whole 'write what you know' approach has Chevalier taking a young American to France, and has strong themes around her/the character's love of history and art; it could be argued that the historical context of this story is the pull that makes this book a good read? A well deserved solid Three Star, 7.5 out of 12.
2007 read
January 3, 2009
So this book started off strong -- very strong. The story of the 1500 Isabelle was very interesting, although could have been developed a little more, I think. I actually had a hard time putting the book down in the first three quarters or more. However, by the end, I was pretty much tired of it. Tired, because it was so odd and unbelievable, and I'd really stopped caring for Ella, the modern-day main character.
I loved the idea of what was happening -- the same land, same family, a modern day version of the character trying to solve a puzzle or a mystery of what had happened to her long-ago counterpart. But there were parts of it that added nothing to the story and made the characters less likeable.
I liked Ella a lot in the beginning, but didn't understand why the author gave her the relationship she did with Jean-Paul. It just didn't make sense, and didn't develop the story any more. Odd.
I realize this sounds like I didn't like it at all. Which isn't true -- I did, but became sort of disillusioned with the characters in the end.
I cared more about some of the side characters than I did for Ella -- Mathilde, Sylvie, Jacob, Susanne. And of course, Marie.
This was definitely an interesting book, and I did learn quite a bit of French history while reading it. But I think the author had a great idea and didn't know how to write the story around it, so the rest was weak.
I loved the idea of what was happening -- the same land, same family, a modern day version of the character trying to solve a puzzle or a mystery of what had happened to her long-ago counterpart. But there were parts of it that added nothing to the story and made the characters less likeable.
I liked Ella a lot in the beginning, but didn't understand why the author gave her the relationship she did with Jean-Paul. It just didn't make sense, and didn't develop the story any more. Odd.
I realize this sounds like I didn't like it at all. Which isn't true -- I did, but became sort of disillusioned with the characters in the end.
I cared more about some of the side characters than I did for Ella -- Mathilde, Sylvie, Jacob, Susanne. And of course, Marie.
This was definitely an interesting book, and I did learn quite a bit of French history while reading it. But I think the author had a great idea and didn't know how to write the story around it, so the rest was weak.
May 4, 2013
Meni lično je ovo najdraža Trejsina knjiga... Inače nisam naročiti ljubitelj njenih romana...
December 29, 2012
I was incredibly disappointed in this book. I had read Girl With a Pearl Earring and been very impressed, so I picked up this one expecting something as good. Well, maybe not AS good, since The Virgin Blue was her first book and I was prepared to give her some wriggle room for growth and learning and so on.
Let me say that I think the book's premise is very strong, and I really loved the 'flashbacks' to Isabella. In my opinion, these segments were strong and interesting and well-written.
Where the book fell down was with Ella, the modern voice. I hated her character. I found her whiny and self-absorbed and I simply did not understand her motivations for the affair. The breakdown in the relationship with her husband simply did not get conveyed nearly enough, and I ended up feeling badly for Rick instead of seeing Ella's side. Truthfully, she had no side.
Another thing that annoyed me was Ella's supposed fluency in French - achieved in just a month! I speak French, and there is no way that anyone would be able to argue about Vietnam and feminism and politics within a month of lessons. Come on. Really?
Finally, the ending. What a let-down. I hated the way that the 'past' and the 'present' melded together. It was meant to be dramatic, but it made me roll my eyes. No suspense for me, no 'aha!' moment, nothing. Just a sense of relief that it was over at last.
On the whole, I'd rate this as the poorest book that I have read by an otherwise quite remarkable author.
Let me say that I think the book's premise is very strong, and I really loved the 'flashbacks' to Isabella. In my opinion, these segments were strong and interesting and well-written.
Where the book fell down was with Ella, the modern voice. I hated her character. I found her whiny and self-absorbed and I simply did not understand her motivations for the affair. The breakdown in the relationship with her husband simply did not get conveyed nearly enough, and I ended up feeling badly for Rick instead of seeing Ella's side. Truthfully, she had no side.
Another thing that annoyed me was Ella's supposed fluency in French - achieved in just a month! I speak French, and there is no way that anyone would be able to argue about Vietnam and feminism and politics within a month of lessons. Come on. Really?
Finally, the ending. What a let-down. I hated the way that the 'past' and the 'present' melded together. It was meant to be dramatic, but it made me roll my eyes. No suspense for me, no 'aha!' moment, nothing. Just a sense of relief that it was over at last.
On the whole, I'd rate this as the poorest book that I have read by an otherwise quite remarkable author.
November 24, 2008
Okay, maybe 1.5 stars is more fair. Anyway, this book annoyed the heck out of me! This is my third Chevalier novel(also read "Girl w/ a Pearl Earring" and "The Lady and the Unicorn) and enjoyed the first two--this is her first novel and I think it shows.
There are 2 main characters in this book--both women, but living centuries apart. Ella, the present-day character, is an American ex-pat living in France with her husband, and Isabelle is her distant ancestor living in France during the time of the Huguenots. My main problem with the novel is that Ella is just plain annoying--selfish, self-centered and self-absorbed. I'm supposed to sympathize with her because oh how women have suffered at the hands of men(including Isabelle, mostly b/c she had the "misfortune" of being born with red hair and having a fascination for the Virgin Mary in Protestant France--but that's another long story)! But boy, does she make it hard.
In the end, I finished the novel b/c I was curious about what happened to Isabelle. So obviously this book wasn't bad enough to stop reading altogether but also not good enough to recommend to anyone.
There are 2 main characters in this book--both women, but living centuries apart. Ella, the present-day character, is an American ex-pat living in France with her husband, and Isabelle is her distant ancestor living in France during the time of the Huguenots. My main problem with the novel is that Ella is just plain annoying--selfish, self-centered and self-absorbed. I'm supposed to sympathize with her because oh how women have suffered at the hands of men(including Isabelle, mostly b/c she had the "misfortune" of being born with red hair and having a fascination for the Virgin Mary in Protestant France--but that's another long story)! But boy, does she make it hard.
In the end, I finished the novel b/c I was curious about what happened to Isabelle. So obviously this book wasn't bad enough to stop reading altogether but also not good enough to recommend to anyone.
January 20, 2008
I picked it up and a day and a half later, I set it down. At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but 20 pages in and I was completely hooked.
Since I haven't read anything else by Tracy Chevallier, I wasn't sure I would enjoy her writing. I was happy to discover she has a natural knack for character development, I found her to be a very honest author, unafraid to describe what "we" are really feeling inside. Exposing the vulnerability of human nature with her intertwining stories of love, hate, religion, persecution, adultery and redemption.
The pace of the novel starts off a little slowly, there is a lot to get through to grasp all the characters and their roles. Halfway muddling through the French dialog was a little difficult at first, but well worth the effort. And as the story progressed, became more intense and began revealing the secrets shared by the two main characters, the chapters became shorter and shorter, the structure of the chapters began to change, which increased the pace set early on.
My only wish is that there had been more follow through with a few revelations that Ella (our main character from the modern age) discovered about her ancestors. (specifically the painter Nicolas Tournier...Who was this cat after all? Tracy never says for sure)
And I wish there had been more between Ella and Susanne her cousin from Switzerland; they shared the family secret but their relationship ended too quickly for me. And later with Ella and Elizabeth her cousin from France. They shared a kindred spirit, but Tracy left me desiring more of the relationships. Ella's feelings toward Elizabeth were contradictory with the way the story ended. At first she doesn't know if she wants to relate to her, but in the end she's spending quality time with Elizabeth but no reconsiliation has been made for her original emotions regarding Elizabeth and the Tournier family history.
Also, there was no explanation as to who's teeth they discovered under the chimney at La Baume du Monsieur, Tracy discusses it briefly in regards to Hannah (the grandmother from the 1500's) and her belief that "the home is safe, the hearth will protect us...", it was a little confusing because it was never fully explained. And lastly, did they burry Marie near Deborah? She wanted to see her again. Did she finally rest near her?
The only reason I can criticize these things is because I enjoyed the book so much, I wish there had been more to it. I was left wanting more...Is there any better compliment to an author?
Since I haven't read anything else by Tracy Chevallier, I wasn't sure I would enjoy her writing. I was happy to discover she has a natural knack for character development, I found her to be a very honest author, unafraid to describe what "we" are really feeling inside. Exposing the vulnerability of human nature with her intertwining stories of love, hate, religion, persecution, adultery and redemption.
The pace of the novel starts off a little slowly, there is a lot to get through to grasp all the characters and their roles. Halfway muddling through the French dialog was a little difficult at first, but well worth the effort. And as the story progressed, became more intense and began revealing the secrets shared by the two main characters, the chapters became shorter and shorter, the structure of the chapters began to change, which increased the pace set early on.
My only wish is that there had been more follow through with a few revelations that Ella (our main character from the modern age) discovered about her ancestors. (specifically the painter Nicolas Tournier...Who was this cat after all? Tracy never says for sure)
And I wish there had been more between Ella and Susanne her cousin from Switzerland; they shared the family secret but their relationship ended too quickly for me. And later with Ella and Elizabeth her cousin from France. They shared a kindred spirit, but Tracy left me desiring more of the relationships. Ella's feelings toward Elizabeth were contradictory with the way the story ended. At first she doesn't know if she wants to relate to her, but in the end she's spending quality time with Elizabeth but no reconsiliation has been made for her original emotions regarding Elizabeth and the Tournier family history.
Also, there was no explanation as to who's teeth they discovered under the chimney at La Baume du Monsieur, Tracy discusses it briefly in regards to Hannah (the grandmother from the 1500's) and her belief that "the home is safe, the hearth will protect us...", it was a little confusing because it was never fully explained. And lastly, did they burry Marie near Deborah? She wanted to see her again. Did she finally rest near her?
The only reason I can criticize these things is because I enjoyed the book so much, I wish there had been more to it. I was left wanting more...Is there any better compliment to an author?
July 4, 2018
No-no-no.
Ma che è ‘sta roba?
Dove è la mia Chevalier?
Stavolta è tutto bocciato.
- L’Alternarsi di passato e presente mi ha infastidito: appena mi interessavo a quello che stava accadendo cambiavano i soggetti.
- Capitoli lunghissimi pieni di tizie incinte, con i capelli rossi ed i vestiti azzurri.
- Una sorta di indagine fatta alla cavolo con fortunate scoperte di Bibbie mezze bruciate recanti alberi genealogici della protagonista.
- Personaggi scialbi, poco interessanti, poco socievoli con il lettore.
- Collegamenti tra passato e presente veramente fatui.
- Scene inutili di protagoniste americane poco accattivanti che bighellonano per cittadine francesi e attirano la maldicenza della gente perché Americans.
- Parti di frasi in francese perché fa chic.
- Storie di corna a gogo.
- Cenni storici buttati a caso.
- Violenza gratuità nei confronti di donne e bambini - nei capitoli del “passato”. Di solito non mi danno fastidio così tanto, ma qui la narrazione è così veloce che l’iterazione di determinati temi è urticante. Violenza gratuita, proprio.
- Mancanza di pathos e intrattenimento nella narrazione (? Dove sei, Chevalier? ).
Spero solo che questo sia l’unico libro brutto scritto da questa autrice che non mi ha mai deluso - fino ad adesso.
Libro letto per la All-Over-The-World BookChallenge ✈️, paese: Francia 🇫🇷
Ma che è ‘sta roba?
Dove è la mia Chevalier?
Stavolta è tutto bocciato.
- L’Alternarsi di passato e presente mi ha infastidito: appena mi interessavo a quello che stava accadendo cambiavano i soggetti.
- Capitoli lunghissimi pieni di tizie incinte, con i capelli rossi ed i vestiti azzurri.
- Una sorta di indagine fatta alla cavolo con fortunate scoperte di Bibbie mezze bruciate recanti alberi genealogici della protagonista.
- Personaggi scialbi, poco interessanti, poco socievoli con il lettore.
- Collegamenti tra passato e presente veramente fatui.
- Scene inutili di protagoniste americane poco accattivanti che bighellonano per cittadine francesi e attirano la maldicenza della gente perché Americans.
- Parti di frasi in francese perché fa chic.
- Storie di corna a gogo.
- Cenni storici buttati a caso.
- Violenza gratuità nei confronti di donne e bambini - nei capitoli del “passato”. Di solito non mi danno fastidio così tanto, ma qui la narrazione è così veloce che l’iterazione di determinati temi è urticante. Violenza gratuita, proprio.
- Mancanza di pathos e intrattenimento nella narrazione (? Dove sei, Chevalier? ).
Spero solo che questo sia l’unico libro brutto scritto da questa autrice che non mi ha mai deluso - fino ad adesso.
Libro letto per la All-Over-The-World BookChallenge ✈️, paese: Francia 🇫🇷
April 9, 2008
Apparently, this was Tracy Chevalier's first novel, quite different from most of her other ones. I have read two other novels by this author, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and "The Lady and the Unicorn", and have enjoyed both very much. This author has a style that appeals to me, simple and straightfoward but with a beauty of its own in the way she captures the characters that compose her stories.
Although I liked "The Virgin Blue", reading it in two days, I ended up fairly confused as to what had happened and why in some particular occasions. I couldn't understand the character's motivations, perhaps because I did not fully compreend the historical background in which part of it took place and what beliefs the people held. I was lost, at times, not understanding why some people reacted or acted the way they did and though some things are explained, many other questions were left unanswered in my mind. In fact, the ending was somewhat abrupt, at least where the past is concerned, as well as some of the relationships portrayed, which I thought moved too fast.
Although I liked "The Virgin Blue", reading it in two days, I ended up fairly confused as to what had happened and why in some particular occasions. I couldn't understand the character's motivations, perhaps because I did not fully compreend the historical background in which part of it took place and what beliefs the people held. I was lost, at times, not understanding why some people reacted or acted the way they did and though some things are explained, many other questions were left unanswered in my mind. In fact, the ending was somewhat abrupt, at least where the past is concerned, as well as some of the relationships portrayed, which I thought moved too fast.
February 18, 2017
4.5 stars
This book gets a pretty easy 4.5 stars from me. I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction with a female character researching her connection to her family's past, which is the basic sum of the plot. That said, this book had a lot going for it aside from my natural affinity for the plot line.
I will admit that a lot of my historical fiction reading has been by certain authors and set in certain areas, which may make the book more novel to me than to a more widely read historical fiction fan, but the setting and historical backdrops were both somewhat unfamiliar to me. I've read books set in or around Paris, but not in the French countryside, as this is. I thought she did a nice job of painting a picture of what life might be like for an American woman moving to a small town in France. Picturesque and lovely, but also judgmental and nosy. I guess the judgmental and nosy part is universal in small towns. The other main setting of the book is the mountains of Switzerland, which was also new to me.
I was wholly unfamiliar with the persecution of the Huguenots by the Catholics in that time and place, aside from having heard of St Bartholowmew's Massacre in passing. The book really fed my nerdy side with the historical references and explanations given on a subject I knew little about and took an immediate interest in.
Trying to put aside my bias towards these sorts of books, I still feel it was a very strong story. There was good pacing with new story lines developing through the whole book, leading up to what I found to be rather a surprise ending. I thought the writing was very good and was descriptive without being over the top.
My overall opinion of this book is that it would be a good choice for someone thinking of dipping a toe into the historical fiction genre. I feel like it has a faster pace and less background historical information than some I have read, which I take away .5 star for, but would make it a good foray into the genre for someone new to historical fiction.
This book gets a pretty easy 4.5 stars from me. I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction with a female character researching her connection to her family's past, which is the basic sum of the plot. That said, this book had a lot going for it aside from my natural affinity for the plot line.
I will admit that a lot of my historical fiction reading has been by certain authors and set in certain areas, which may make the book more novel to me than to a more widely read historical fiction fan, but the setting and historical backdrops were both somewhat unfamiliar to me. I've read books set in or around Paris, but not in the French countryside, as this is. I thought she did a nice job of painting a picture of what life might be like for an American woman moving to a small town in France. Picturesque and lovely, but also judgmental and nosy. I guess the judgmental and nosy part is universal in small towns. The other main setting of the book is the mountains of Switzerland, which was also new to me.
I was wholly unfamiliar with the persecution of the Huguenots by the Catholics in that time and place, aside from having heard of St Bartholowmew's Massacre in passing. The book really fed my nerdy side with the historical references and explanations given on a subject I knew little about and took an immediate interest in.
Trying to put aside my bias towards these sorts of books, I still feel it was a very strong story. There was good pacing with new story lines developing through the whole book, leading up to what I found to be rather a surprise ending. I thought the writing was very good and was descriptive without being over the top.
My overall opinion of this book is that it would be a good choice for someone thinking of dipping a toe into the historical fiction genre. I feel like it has a faster pace and less background historical information than some I have read, which I take away .5 star for, but would make it a good foray into the genre for someone new to historical fiction.
August 3, 2014
This was an amazing book, and the ending was not disappointing at all- except for those I can imagine have little imagination and did not really pay attention to the plot. Tracy Chevalier has completely astonished and moved me with her writing once again.
For those of you who appreciated/liked the ending and would like to read my take on it- please read below. Didn't understand the ending? I think my analysis has some interesting points.
JUST KNOW THAT THIS ANALYSIS OF THE ENDING HAS SPOILERS.
SPOILERS- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My take on the ending:
I do not know what happens to Isabella- the last time we as readers "see" her is through Jacob's eyes ("Jacob reaches the crossroads and finds his mother on her knees, bathed in blue.") and he is watching her crouch somewhere far from the crossroads that he has just reached himself- meaning that if he is coming from the direction of the Tournier farm (we can assume he has just left after such a traumatic experience because he like Isabelle was the only other that truly loved Marie) then Isabelle has chosen another direction (both away from the Tournier farm Jacob just came from and away from the west road that Jacob takes in the end). Jacob turns away from both directions (the way he just came from/the Tournier farm AND his mother) to go WEST ("She does not see him and he watched her for a moment, the blue reflected in his eyes. Then he looks around and takes the road leading west"). I think Tracy Chevalier makes this distinction implicit (the only real detail she gives us in the end) because she wants us to know that Jacob DID go away and make it on his own.
Because why else, then, would the well constructed plot include this Nicolas Tournier that might have just been a dead end and a way to slip us up before Ella finds her "real" ancestors. But no, Tracy Chevalier very openly brings back Nicolas Tournier in the very last lines of the ending- making him a very important detail, and re-instating him as a possible ancestor, and a very important one at that, because Ella (who's intuition has not failed so far when it comes to her ancestors) also can not give up on the coincidences of the character and feels he is important. What is my conclusion of this- that he IS very important and very much an ancestor of Ella, and that he is not Jacob, but Jacob's SON.
You see, look at the dates:
Jean was born in 1563
Jacob was born in 1565
& Marie in 1567
Now, one must put together the clues the book has given us:
1. That right around the time this all happens with the dress and Marie's murder, Isabelle very explicitly notes how much "Petit Jean" has come to resemble his father and the Tourniers, and how much he acts like a grown man -- even though he is barely ten years old.
2. That when Jean-Paul finds out more about the painter Nicolas Tournier he finds concrete evidence: the painter's baptism year was 1590 and the painter's father Andre Tournier came to Montbeliard in 1572 (where Nicolas was born) from Besancon. (see page 97: "His father Andre Tournier, who was a painter from Besancon - that is not far from Montbeliard. [...] The father, Andre Tournier, came to Montbeliard in 1572 because of religious troubles ...").
I did the math, and if Jacob was born in 1565 and would have arrived at Montbeliard in 1572, that would have made him 7 years old at arrival. If the year Jacob left and arrived at Montbeliard was 1572 (making 1572 the year all this happened with the dress and the murder of Marie), then that would make Petit Jean 10 years old (born 1563) just as it had been mentioned in the book by Isabelle, and Marie 5 years old (born 1567) just as she should have been because Ella found child bones.
My assumption is solidified by these years and then the ending, because I think that Jacob DID leave and managed to survive and arrive at Montbeliard, where he ended up settling for the rest of his life. Now think: Jacob was very very smart, he would have managed and he also would have been smart enough and angry enough at his family to change his name to Andre. Also, Andre was a painter, and Jacob had all the qualities and skills that would have made him one too. He was particular about colors and their contrasting qualities (remember his love for the stones) and even his own love for the Virgin's color blue that he came to adore because of his mother, would have allowed him to pass that on to his son Nicolas, who also becomes a painter (I am unsure about who paints the painting Ella comes across though, because I feel like it could have been either Andre/Jacob in memory of his mother and Marie, or Nicolas who would have become an impressive painter after his father and made the painting after being influenced from his trips to Italy). Either way, that is my conclusion. Jacob left, arrived in Montbeliard in 1572 at seven years old, changed his name and made a new home, life and family for himself, becoming a painter and passing that on to his son Nicolas. Also, note that Nicolas' baptism was in 1590, and if he was baptized the year of his birth (as customary), then by the year 1590 Andre/Jacob would be 25 years old, making him old enough to not only have been married but a reasonable age to have had a child as well.
Why does all this evidence make me so sure about all my "assumptions" about the ending: well because Tracy Chevalier was very careful and strategic in providing us with all these specific dates and information. As a writer, I can not imagine she would have included or bothered to put this into the story and the plot without real purpose. Writers, at least good ones, will not include something in their stories without purpose or meaning.
This, overall, makes me happy because of all the Tourniers that survived (poor Marie) and would have had the chance to have made a respectable family (certainly not poor Isabelle and definitely not Petit Jean who becomes as evil as his father's family- having incest and illegitimate children), it would be Jacob. Kind, thoughtful Jacob, who also would have been thoughtful enough to never call any of his children after his father's family- breaking the Jean/Hannah/Susanne/Etienne cycle, and also breaking any link to that family, which is why it is so difficult for Ella to ever really confirm that his family are also her ancestors, even though she feels it in her gut.
Also, I'd like to make another go at Isabelle's ending, because assuming that Jacob left and that Isabelle's only choices were to either go back to the Tourniers, the Shepherd, Susanne's family or die in the streets, I feel that Tracy Chevalier gives us a little hope in leaving her at least some distance away from the crossroads where Jacob finds her and watched her from. MAYBE she somehow survived and made it back to the Shepherd, MAYBE even she made her way to Susanne's husband and children, but I do not think she went back to the Tournier farm, because she was not facing or on that path as Jacob walked up to the crossroads. I know that the other alternative would be that she died one the streets, "a baby in her womb, forgotten, her grave unmarked." But this, as the ending so states, would not be the worst fate, it would have been going back to the Tourniers. Also, Isabelle - despite all the sad things that happen to her in her life - would be the kind of woman to survive with the help of her faith in the Virgin and the "magic" protection she received again and again from her mother/the wolf. I feel also, that Jacob knows this, though he leaves her, Jacob knows that his mother will be fine because he finds her "on her knees, bathed in blue," and I can not help think that his seeing her this way (protected by the Virgin) would be the only way he'd turn away from her and leave.
Finally, I'd also like to point out and finish by saying something about Marie's fate, because looking back now I can not help but recognize all the clues we were given throughout the story that her life was in danger and that the Tourniers were an awful family. For one, despite what happened with Pascal and Jacob making the blue dress for Marie, it becomes clear that Etienne and Hannah had been planning to sacrifice Marie all along. If one reads Page 192 again, before the granite even arrives, Etienne already knew he would sacrifice Marie and burry her under the hearth.
"How big will the hearth be, Papa? Petit Jean asked. As big as the one at the old farm? Etienne glances around before his eyes rested on Marie. - Yes, he said, it will be a big hearth. You think so, Marie?"
After this, Isabelle could SENSE the danger that surrounded her daughter. Not only this, but the clues kept coming, from Etienne counting the stones outline of Marie when Jacob was trying to do the same to know the size of the dress and Isabelle (sensing the danger again) kicked at the stones, to the way Hannah fed her (maybe to make her bigger or something like an animal sacrifice? Idk, but it was still a strange thing because Isabelle pointed it out and was worried about it), and - finally - to Etienne's and Hannah's worry when the granite arrived and they refused to let the delivery man help them set the stone because Marie was obviously still very much alive and they couldn't kill her and put her under the stone right in front of a stranger they knew would tell everyone. Also, it became clear that they had been planning this all along and had been willing to make a human sacrifice because they had done it before- as Ella realized when Jean-Paul unburied the teeth under the chimney at the old Turnier house.
One last thing- some may argue that there would be no way for Jacob to survive by leaving his family at seven years old ... or any age in fact before he was big enough to marry. But consider that back then children were only treated as such up to a certain age. They were expected to work young and - specially the boys were expected to behave and grow up like the men from their family from an early age. Petit Jean was well enough on that path only at ten, he could work the fields and use a knife, etc. Jacob had different kinds of skills, and he wasn't as cunning as Petit Jean, but I think he would have still made it ... even at 7 years old. He could have wandered around, gotten strange jobs along the way, and settle in a town where someone could have helped him, as they had the Tourniers when they'd arrived poor after fleeing France. Even at 7, I think Jacob was very smart from the beginning, really mature and had all the potential to make a life for himself away from his family.
For those of you who appreciated/liked the ending and would like to read my take on it- please read below. Didn't understand the ending? I think my analysis has some interesting points.
JUST KNOW THAT THIS ANALYSIS OF THE ENDING HAS SPOILERS.
SPOILERS- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My take on the ending:
I do not know what happens to Isabella- the last time we as readers "see" her is through Jacob's eyes ("Jacob reaches the crossroads and finds his mother on her knees, bathed in blue.") and he is watching her crouch somewhere far from the crossroads that he has just reached himself- meaning that if he is coming from the direction of the Tournier farm (we can assume he has just left after such a traumatic experience because he like Isabelle was the only other that truly loved Marie) then Isabelle has chosen another direction (both away from the Tournier farm Jacob just came from and away from the west road that Jacob takes in the end). Jacob turns away from both directions (the way he just came from/the Tournier farm AND his mother) to go WEST ("She does not see him and he watched her for a moment, the blue reflected in his eyes. Then he looks around and takes the road leading west"). I think Tracy Chevalier makes this distinction implicit (the only real detail she gives us in the end) because she wants us to know that Jacob DID go away and make it on his own.
Because why else, then, would the well constructed plot include this Nicolas Tournier that might have just been a dead end and a way to slip us up before Ella finds her "real" ancestors. But no, Tracy Chevalier very openly brings back Nicolas Tournier in the very last lines of the ending- making him a very important detail, and re-instating him as a possible ancestor, and a very important one at that, because Ella (who's intuition has not failed so far when it comes to her ancestors) also can not give up on the coincidences of the character and feels he is important. What is my conclusion of this- that he IS very important and very much an ancestor of Ella, and that he is not Jacob, but Jacob's SON.
You see, look at the dates:
Jean was born in 1563
Jacob was born in 1565
& Marie in 1567
Now, one must put together the clues the book has given us:
1. That right around the time this all happens with the dress and Marie's murder, Isabelle very explicitly notes how much "Petit Jean" has come to resemble his father and the Tourniers, and how much he acts like a grown man -- even though he is barely ten years old.
2. That when Jean-Paul finds out more about the painter Nicolas Tournier he finds concrete evidence: the painter's baptism year was 1590 and the painter's father Andre Tournier came to Montbeliard in 1572 (where Nicolas was born) from Besancon. (see page 97: "His father Andre Tournier, who was a painter from Besancon - that is not far from Montbeliard. [...] The father, Andre Tournier, came to Montbeliard in 1572 because of religious troubles ...").
I did the math, and if Jacob was born in 1565 and would have arrived at Montbeliard in 1572, that would have made him 7 years old at arrival. If the year Jacob left and arrived at Montbeliard was 1572 (making 1572 the year all this happened with the dress and the murder of Marie), then that would make Petit Jean 10 years old (born 1563) just as it had been mentioned in the book by Isabelle, and Marie 5 years old (born 1567) just as she should have been because Ella found child bones.
My assumption is solidified by these years and then the ending, because I think that Jacob DID leave and managed to survive and arrive at Montbeliard, where he ended up settling for the rest of his life. Now think: Jacob was very very smart, he would have managed and he also would have been smart enough and angry enough at his family to change his name to Andre. Also, Andre was a painter, and Jacob had all the qualities and skills that would have made him one too. He was particular about colors and their contrasting qualities (remember his love for the stones) and even his own love for the Virgin's color blue that he came to adore because of his mother, would have allowed him to pass that on to his son Nicolas, who also becomes a painter (I am unsure about who paints the painting Ella comes across though, because I feel like it could have been either Andre/Jacob in memory of his mother and Marie, or Nicolas who would have become an impressive painter after his father and made the painting after being influenced from his trips to Italy). Either way, that is my conclusion. Jacob left, arrived in Montbeliard in 1572 at seven years old, changed his name and made a new home, life and family for himself, becoming a painter and passing that on to his son Nicolas. Also, note that Nicolas' baptism was in 1590, and if he was baptized the year of his birth (as customary), then by the year 1590 Andre/Jacob would be 25 years old, making him old enough to not only have been married but a reasonable age to have had a child as well.
Why does all this evidence make me so sure about all my "assumptions" about the ending: well because Tracy Chevalier was very careful and strategic in providing us with all these specific dates and information. As a writer, I can not imagine she would have included or bothered to put this into the story and the plot without real purpose. Writers, at least good ones, will not include something in their stories without purpose or meaning.
This, overall, makes me happy because of all the Tourniers that survived (poor Marie) and would have had the chance to have made a respectable family (certainly not poor Isabelle and definitely not Petit Jean who becomes as evil as his father's family- having incest and illegitimate children), it would be Jacob. Kind, thoughtful Jacob, who also would have been thoughtful enough to never call any of his children after his father's family- breaking the Jean/Hannah/Susanne/Etienne cycle, and also breaking any link to that family, which is why it is so difficult for Ella to ever really confirm that his family are also her ancestors, even though she feels it in her gut.
Also, I'd like to make another go at Isabelle's ending, because assuming that Jacob left and that Isabelle's only choices were to either go back to the Tourniers, the Shepherd, Susanne's family or die in the streets, I feel that Tracy Chevalier gives us a little hope in leaving her at least some distance away from the crossroads where Jacob finds her and watched her from. MAYBE she somehow survived and made it back to the Shepherd, MAYBE even she made her way to Susanne's husband and children, but I do not think she went back to the Tournier farm, because she was not facing or on that path as Jacob walked up to the crossroads. I know that the other alternative would be that she died one the streets, "a baby in her womb, forgotten, her grave unmarked." But this, as the ending so states, would not be the worst fate, it would have been going back to the Tourniers. Also, Isabelle - despite all the sad things that happen to her in her life - would be the kind of woman to survive with the help of her faith in the Virgin and the "magic" protection she received again and again from her mother/the wolf. I feel also, that Jacob knows this, though he leaves her, Jacob knows that his mother will be fine because he finds her "on her knees, bathed in blue," and I can not help think that his seeing her this way (protected by the Virgin) would be the only way he'd turn away from her and leave.
Finally, I'd also like to point out and finish by saying something about Marie's fate, because looking back now I can not help but recognize all the clues we were given throughout the story that her life was in danger and that the Tourniers were an awful family. For one, despite what happened with Pascal and Jacob making the blue dress for Marie, it becomes clear that Etienne and Hannah had been planning to sacrifice Marie all along. If one reads Page 192 again, before the granite even arrives, Etienne already knew he would sacrifice Marie and burry her under the hearth.
"How big will the hearth be, Papa? Petit Jean asked. As big as the one at the old farm? Etienne glances around before his eyes rested on Marie. - Yes, he said, it will be a big hearth. You think so, Marie?"
After this, Isabelle could SENSE the danger that surrounded her daughter. Not only this, but the clues kept coming, from Etienne counting the stones outline of Marie when Jacob was trying to do the same to know the size of the dress and Isabelle (sensing the danger again) kicked at the stones, to the way Hannah fed her (maybe to make her bigger or something like an animal sacrifice? Idk, but it was still a strange thing because Isabelle pointed it out and was worried about it), and - finally - to Etienne's and Hannah's worry when the granite arrived and they refused to let the delivery man help them set the stone because Marie was obviously still very much alive and they couldn't kill her and put her under the stone right in front of a stranger they knew would tell everyone. Also, it became clear that they had been planning this all along and had been willing to make a human sacrifice because they had done it before- as Ella realized when Jean-Paul unburied the teeth under the chimney at the old Turnier house.
One last thing- some may argue that there would be no way for Jacob to survive by leaving his family at seven years old ... or any age in fact before he was big enough to marry. But consider that back then children were only treated as such up to a certain age. They were expected to work young and - specially the boys were expected to behave and grow up like the men from their family from an early age. Petit Jean was well enough on that path only at ten, he could work the fields and use a knife, etc. Jacob had different kinds of skills, and he wasn't as cunning as Petit Jean, but I think he would have still made it ... even at 7 years old. He could have wandered around, gotten strange jobs along the way, and settle in a town where someone could have helped him, as they had the Tourniers when they'd arrived poor after fleeing France. Even at 7, I think Jacob was very smart from the beginning, really mature and had all the potential to make a life for himself away from his family.
April 17, 2009
Definitely not as good as Girl with a Pearl Earring. I was really enjoying the first two-thirds of the book, but I didn't like the direction it took after that. There are two parallel stories happening and the modern one is less believable than the one that takes places four hundred years ago. I liked the character Isabelle from the 1500's much better than Ella from modern day. I'll still read more by Chevalier. She has a nice style of writing that totally sucks me in.
September 29, 2019
Like all of Tracy Chevalier's books, this is beautifully written and deeply engrossing. Unlike her other books, this has elements of a thriller!
The story alternates between Isabelle du Moulin (aka “The Rousse” for her copper colored hair) and her distant descendant, Ella Turner. Both are trained as midwives, both are not able to practice their craft (Isabelle's husband Ettienne won't let her, Ella has moved with her husband to France for his work, and she doesn't have the necessary certifications to work there).
Ella is having repetitive dreams about being enveloped in a shade of blue. She decides to investigate her family tree, she is descended from Tourniers in Franch (who Anglicized their names to Turner when they arrived in America). Isabelle is unhappily married and accused of witchcraft. The two stories are interwoven, coming together in a satisfying climax.
The good: All the scenes describing Isabelle and the past are excellent, she is a very sympathetic character. The finish was good, with every loose string tied up.
The bad: I didn't really care for Ella, she seemed whiney and dramatic. I felt annoyed sometimes with the choices she made.
Overall a very readable book, definitely held my attention, but nowhere near as good as Girl With a Pearl Earring.
The story alternates between Isabelle du Moulin (aka “The Rousse” for her copper colored hair) and her distant descendant, Ella Turner. Both are trained as midwives, both are not able to practice their craft (Isabelle's husband Ettienne won't let her, Ella has moved with her husband to France for his work, and she doesn't have the necessary certifications to work there).
Ella is having repetitive dreams about being enveloped in a shade of blue. She decides to investigate her family tree, she is descended from Tourniers in Franch (who Anglicized their names to Turner when they arrived in America). Isabelle is unhappily married and accused of witchcraft. The two stories are interwoven, coming together in a satisfying climax.
The good: All the scenes describing Isabelle and the past are excellent, she is a very sympathetic character. The finish was good, with every loose string tied up.
The bad: I didn't really care for Ella, she seemed whiney and dramatic. I felt annoyed sometimes with the choices she made.
Overall a very readable book, definitely held my attention, but nowhere near as good as Girl With a Pearl Earring.
March 24, 2008
Surprisingly, this was somewhat a book about a mystery, but it did get me thinking quite a bit, particularly about memories and how they are stored in the brain. Because one of the two main characters "develops" memories from her distant relative (distant being 400ish years ago), I started to wonder about memories and if we will ever figure out a way to "harvest" and save memories to be viewed when "host" is no longer with us. It seems crazy, but maybe at one time, it seemed crazy to think we could hear a voice or see a picture of someone long after they were gone. The story itself was very good, and I enjoyed the language the author used, her use of imagery and the way she described Ella's and Isabelle's feelings. What I did not appreciate was the way the book ended. I understand the agenda of an author to leave the reader to make up some bit of their own when tying up loose ends, but I think this author left too much to the imagination. I wanted to know more about what happens to Ella and what happened to Isabelle. But, I loved the history behind this story, I loved the use of the French language (which was awesome since I was listening to it in my car on the way to my class in Gorham), and I really loved this author's style of writing.
August 16, 2024
Ending was very rushed and unsatisfactory but the rest of the book had me hooked
January 16, 2010
Tracy Chevalier is a very frustrating author for me. I liked the first one I read (The Lady and the Unicorn), I adored the second one I read (Falling Angels) and was disappointed with the third (The Girl in the Pearl Earrings). This is the 4th, and once again, disappointed. The thing that disappoints me most is that the subject material is so rich, I can see how the book could be so good. I know nothing about the Huguenots in France and would love to read more. I love history, I love genealogy and so forth. This could have been a really great story.
Instead, one of the protagonists I really didn't care for (the modern Ella). I did like the way the author showed how it was difficult to adjust to life in small town France. The book described that well, in a way I could understand. But the character herself, I didn't much care for.
The way the magical elements were woven into the story also didn't make sense to me. I found the blue dream hokey, the hair that grew mysteriously red overnight unbelievable, and so forth. I've read a lot of books with magical elements to them so that as a plot device or aspect of the story doesn't bother me. But it didn't fit well here.
There were also lose ends that were never tied up and things that were never explained. I'm not referring to an open ended ending, which can be excellent sometimes. I'm referring to the painter that ended up being a dead end. Why was he even in the story? It did not move the plot forward or contribute in any way. It was frustrating.
Finally, the sections taking place in the 1500s were confusing and hard for me to follow. I find the French way of writing dialog difficult to read. They never sound like characters speaking in my head. I also thought there were too many names and the action was difficult to follow. I ended up confused and had to read back a few pages to get the characters straight.
Once again, highly disappointing since I love the idea behind it.
Instead, one of the protagonists I really didn't care for (the modern Ella). I did like the way the author showed how it was difficult to adjust to life in small town France. The book described that well, in a way I could understand. But the character herself, I didn't much care for.
The way the magical elements were woven into the story also didn't make sense to me. I found the blue dream hokey, the hair that grew mysteriously red overnight unbelievable, and so forth. I've read a lot of books with magical elements to them so that as a plot device or aspect of the story doesn't bother me. But it didn't fit well here.
There were also lose ends that were never tied up and things that were never explained. I'm not referring to an open ended ending, which can be excellent sometimes. I'm referring to the painter that ended up being a dead end. Why was he even in the story? It did not move the plot forward or contribute in any way. It was frustrating.
Finally, the sections taking place in the 1500s were confusing and hard for me to follow. I find the French way of writing dialog difficult to read. They never sound like characters speaking in my head. I also thought there were too many names and the action was difficult to follow. I ended up confused and had to read back a few pages to get the characters straight.
Once again, highly disappointing since I love the idea behind it.
May 21, 2023
Turbūt kiekvienam vieną dieną kyla noras paieškoti savo šaknų. O jeigu jos siekia XVI amžių ir protėviai gyveno Prancūzijoje. Taip nutiko ir knygos veikėjai Elai, kuri iš ramaus amerikietiško gyvenimo persikėlė į Prancūziją ir iš Turner pavirto į Turnjė. Pasirodo ši pavardė slepia kur kas daugiau nei Ela tikėjosi.
Na, o XVI amžiuje Izabelė išteka, nes laukiasi nuo įtakingos kaimo šeimos sūnaus. Izabelė yra protestantė ir kartu turi išskirtinį bruožą - ji raudonplaukė. Mergina kuria namus kartu su vyru ir vaikučiais, tačiau protestantus pradeda persekioti ir šeimai tenka viską palikus bėgti. Kass sieja dvi šias moteris?
Rašytoja įpynė ne tik istorinius faktus apie Prancūzijos hugenotus, bet ir šiek tiek mistikos. Elos sapnai, mėlyno audeklo simbolika ir tam tikri ženklai žadina smalsumą. Atrodo dviejų moterų gyvenimai susijungia per šimtmečius ir jos savotiškai bendrai sprendžia savo problemas, kurios pasirodo gana panašios.
Man patiko: net dvi laiko linijos puikiai suderėjo ir vieną kitą papildė. Manau, kad tikrai patiks istorinių romanų gerbėjams. Nors čia ir faktų nėra labai daug, bes XVI amžiaus įvykiai papasakoti gan autentiškai.
Na, o XVI amžiuje Izabelė išteka, nes laukiasi nuo įtakingos kaimo šeimos sūnaus. Izabelė yra protestantė ir kartu turi išskirtinį bruožą - ji raudonplaukė. Mergina kuria namus kartu su vyru ir vaikučiais, tačiau protestantus pradeda persekioti ir šeimai tenka viską palikus bėgti. Kass sieja dvi šias moteris?
Rašytoja įpynė ne tik istorinius faktus apie Prancūzijos hugenotus, bet ir šiek tiek mistikos. Elos sapnai, mėlyno audeklo simbolika ir tam tikri ženklai žadina smalsumą. Atrodo dviejų moterų gyvenimai susijungia per šimtmečius ir jos savotiškai bendrai sprendžia savo problemas, kurios pasirodo gana panašios.
Man patiko: net dvi laiko linijos puikiai suderėjo ir vieną kitą papildė. Manau, kad tikrai patiks istorinių romanų gerbėjams. Nors čia ir faktų nėra labai daug, bes XVI amžiaus įvykiai papasakoti gan autentiškai.
May 19, 2008
Having never read Chevalier’s work I was very pleased with this novel, which is her first. The interesting thing to me was that the story took place at two different times in history but in the same geographic area. The first chapter introduces us to Isabelle, a girl who lives in France in the 1600s during a religious upheaval. Isabelle is seen as odd by her town because of her red hair, which was uncommon at the time. In chapter two we meet Ella, an American who has moved to France with her husband. Over the course of the novel Ella searches out her family history and finds that her family originated near where she now lives. The story is historical fiction while also discussing changes in relationships, personal revelations, and major life changes for many of the characters. I especially found the story changes by chapter interesting, and the way that Chevalier integrates the two main characters’ stories toward the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and world literature. I would suggest that someone who does not know European religious history well read the Historical Note at the end before beginning the story though.
October 21, 2018
Questo romanzo, a mio parere, rientra senza dubbio tra i migliori usciti nel corso degli ultimi vent'anni. Mi sono imbattuta in questa lettura quasi per caso, non ne avevo mai sentito parlare, ma ho deciso di leggerlo perché mi ricordavo di aver molto apprezzato "la ragazza con l'orecchino di perla" della stessa autrice.
Devo essere sincera, non mi sono avvicinata a questa lettura con particolari aspettative, ma con mia sorpresa tra queste pagine ho trovato tutto: un romanzo storico, una bellissima e travagliata storia d'amore, un'attenta e approfondita analisi psicologica di tutti i personaggi (anche i più marginali), tantissima introspezione, una coinvolgente alternanza tra passato e presente, sempre più fortemente interconnessi l'uno all'altro. Era da tempo che non mi capitava di approcciarmi ad una lettura tanto emozionante, mi sono trovata ad amare, piangere, soffrire, sperare ed arrabbiarmi, insieme a tutti i protagonisti della storia, e credo che ogni libro dovrebbe portare il lettore a provare questo tipo di empatia così profonda. L'intera narrazione è pervasa da un senso profondo di "speranzosa malinconia", che mi ha portata ad appassionarmi alla lettura al punto da non voler abbandonare il libro neanche per un secondo.
Credo che sia il libro perfetto per chi, come me, desidera lentamente avvicinarsi al genere storico senza approcciarsi immediatamente a qualcosa di troppo pesante.
Devo essere sincera, non mi sono avvicinata a questa lettura con particolari aspettative, ma con mia sorpresa tra queste pagine ho trovato tutto: un romanzo storico, una bellissima e travagliata storia d'amore, un'attenta e approfondita analisi psicologica di tutti i personaggi (anche i più marginali), tantissima introspezione, una coinvolgente alternanza tra passato e presente, sempre più fortemente interconnessi l'uno all'altro. Era da tempo che non mi capitava di approcciarmi ad una lettura tanto emozionante, mi sono trovata ad amare, piangere, soffrire, sperare ed arrabbiarmi, insieme a tutti i protagonisti della storia, e credo che ogni libro dovrebbe portare il lettore a provare questo tipo di empatia così profonda. L'intera narrazione è pervasa da un senso profondo di "speranzosa malinconia", che mi ha portata ad appassionarmi alla lettura al punto da non voler abbandonare il libro neanche per un secondo.
Credo che sia il libro perfetto per chi, come me, desidera lentamente avvicinarsi al genere storico senza approcciarsi immediatamente a qualcosa di troppo pesante.
January 18, 2021
It has similar flavour as Tracy Chevalier's other books but don't isn't quite as great. Still is a good book and I liked that we looked at two different women through time but I wasn't mesmerized by the story and I didn't quite like the end with Ella.
September 16, 2023
I have enjoyed this author's books for their historical content, but this one missed the mark for me unfortunately.
January 28, 2009
I really loved this book in a lot of ways, but the sense of inevitability, that feeling of descending tragedy that cannot be averted, was so strong and, of course, correct. We were looking at events that had already occurred and those could not be changed. But when we were experiencing them in a present tense I really wished that Isabelle could have found a way out of the life and tragedies that were here destiny, especially for Marie. I was just sick about it. Also found myself in favor of Jean-Paul, heedless of Rick, which is an unusual stance for me. I guess I was so caught up in the destiny of the relationship. I wanted to kill Hannah and Etienne and if I was Isabelle I may have.
February 19, 2016
Unfortunatley, not a favorite of mine from this author. I usually really enjoy reading her books but this one, while it started out strong, just came together too quickly at the end and I was left very confused. It was also a bit heavy on the romance for my tastes. The early storyline was interesting and I enjoyed learning about French history but the second storyline was not engaging and felt a bit too false, it didn't really ring true for me.
March 14, 2021
I'm surprised at how much I liked this and how tragic it got. Very well written.
December 10, 2008
This was a very interesting book about two women, centuries apart, linked through blood and circumstances.
Ella Turner moves to France with her husband Rick for his job. She has nothing to do with her days (she was a midwife in the U.S., but cannot yet practice in France) and begins researching her family history.
In nearly every other chapter we read of Isabella, who lived 400 years earlier. She is beginning her adult life with a marriage and child on the way. Forced to give up her beliefs in the Catholic church and the Virgin Mary as well as her skill in midwifery, she lives with her husband's family, the Tourniers.
This book is full of beautifully-written parallels with the two main characters. It is sad and rich. There were parts I didn't love and it dragged a bit in the middle, but by about page 200 or so I couldn't put it down. It had some heart-breaking moments and everything came together so well at the end.
This is a really impressive first novel by the same author as The Girl with the Pearl Earring (a favorite of mine). I'm definitely putting her other book Falling Angels on my to-read shelf.
Ella Turner moves to France with her husband Rick for his job. She has nothing to do with her days (she was a midwife in the U.S., but cannot yet practice in France) and begins researching her family history.
In nearly every other chapter we read of Isabella, who lived 400 years earlier. She is beginning her adult life with a marriage and child on the way. Forced to give up her beliefs in the Catholic church and the Virgin Mary as well as her skill in midwifery, she lives with her husband's family, the Tourniers.
This book is full of beautifully-written parallels with the two main characters. It is sad and rich. There were parts I didn't love and it dragged a bit in the middle, but by about page 200 or so I couldn't put it down. It had some heart-breaking moments and everything came together so well at the end.
This is a really impressive first novel by the same author as The Girl with the Pearl Earring (a favorite of mine). I'm definitely putting her other book Falling Angels on my to-read shelf.
September 29, 2016
Before penning her bestselling novel Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier wrote The Virgin Blue, the mesmerizing story of two women living in France 400 years apart. Let me just say that I loved, loved, LOVED this novel! I couldn't bear to put it down and so I read it practically straight through in a matter of hours.
Chevalier's description of the people and towns of France both in present day and in the past are amazingly full of life and incredibly beautiful. It was impossible not to fall in love with France while reading The Virgin Blue. The author's love both for history and art is easy to see and infectious - I am eager to read her other novels as soon as I can get my hands on them.
The characters are well-written and and believable and the plot is quick-moving and engrossing. The Virgin Blue is possibly the best book that I've read this year. Don't let yourself be distracted by reviews that it is not as good as Girl with a Pearl Earring - The Virgin Blue is every bit as good as some of the best historical fiction out there.
Chevalier's description of the people and towns of France both in present day and in the past are amazingly full of life and incredibly beautiful. It was impossible not to fall in love with France while reading The Virgin Blue. The author's love both for history and art is easy to see and infectious - I am eager to read her other novels as soon as I can get my hands on them.
The characters are well-written and and believable and the plot is quick-moving and engrossing. The Virgin Blue is possibly the best book that I've read this year. Don't let yourself be distracted by reviews that it is not as good as Girl with a Pearl Earring - The Virgin Blue is every bit as good as some of the best historical fiction out there.
June 14, 2012
I borrowed this from my housemate because I had thoroughly enjoyed "Girl With the Pearl Earring" years ago. The Virgin Blue is so different from 'Girl' and yet still a great read. I was fascinated with the redhead history (being one myself) and had never heard of Mary as a redhead before! The whole redhead as witch thing is pretty common and always makes me kind of smile...although I guess I hadn't realized it had pushed so far south (it is an old but common belief in northern and eastern Europe.
I didn't get 'sucked in' to the book as quickly as I did "Girl with The Pearl Earring"--with Virgin Blue the last third of the book was unputdownable for me whereas I was immediately hooked in Girl--but still Chevalier is a great storyteller, well worth the read.
I didn't get 'sucked in' to the book as quickly as I did "Girl with The Pearl Earring"--with Virgin Blue the last third of the book was unputdownable for me whereas I was immediately hooked in Girl--but still Chevalier is a great storyteller, well worth the read.
August 9, 2018
S obzirom na to da je ovo prvi Trejsin roman, treba joj oprostiti neke propuste i klišee, kao i slabe delove. Sve u svemu, nakon ponovnog čitanja, ovo ostaje knjiga koju mnogo volim i to zbog motiva koji me uvek privlače - porodične tajne, pronalaženje predaka, povezanost dve žene kroz vreme i prostor, kao i pokušaj da se odgovori šta je to što nas "tera" da volimo nekoga, a šta nas posle nekog vremena zažulja.
September 24, 2024
Part detective story, part historical fiction with a touch of art history, The Virgin Blue follows two women: modern-day Ella Turner and 16th-century Isabelle du Moulin. As the novel alternates between their stories, a hidden history emerges, intertwining their lives.
I don't read much historical fiction, so I didn’t realize this book delves into the persecution of the Huguenots by the Catholics, including the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre. Reading about it was... wow. You can tell from my annotations that I really got into researching it. I love when books inspire me to dig deeper, which is part of why this became a 5-star read for me.
There’s also art history throughout the story, especially about ultramarine blue, which was made from lapis lazuli. One quote really stood out to me: 'Ah, the blue of the Renaissance. You know there is lapis lazuli in this blue. It was so expensive they could only use it for important things like the Virgin’s robe.” As someone who loves art and art history, but isn’t religious, I found this fascinating.
I really liked all the characters in this book, even though Ella made some questionable decisions. The writing was vivid and captivating, but never felt overdone. If you’re curious about trying out historical fiction, this is a perfect book to ease into the genre.
I don't read much historical fiction, so I didn’t realize this book delves into the persecution of the Huguenots by the Catholics, including the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre. Reading about it was... wow. You can tell from my annotations that I really got into researching it. I love when books inspire me to dig deeper, which is part of why this became a 5-star read for me.
There’s also art history throughout the story, especially about ultramarine blue, which was made from lapis lazuli. One quote really stood out to me: 'Ah, the blue of the Renaissance. You know there is lapis lazuli in this blue. It was so expensive they could only use it for important things like the Virgin’s robe.” As someone who loves art and art history, but isn’t religious, I found this fascinating.
I really liked all the characters in this book, even though Ella made some questionable decisions. The writing was vivid and captivating, but never felt overdone. If you’re curious about trying out historical fiction, this is a perfect book to ease into the genre.
July 3, 2023
„Matai, tai nuostabi spalva, bet sykiu ir sklidina liūdesio: galbūt tam, kad primintų, jog mergelė amžinai gedi savo sūnaus, pradeda gedėti jo vos gimusio. Tačiau ir tada, kai jis miršta, tas mėlynumas toks pats nuostabus, be galo gražus – teikiantis viltį."
Argi gali būti geresnis laikas skaityti šią knygą, kai gegužė ir dangus toks skaistus ir mėlynas? Vieni rašytojai į savo istorijas įpina maisto aprašymus, kiti – įspūdingas keliones. O Tracy Chevalier romanų ašimi tampa meno kūrinys. „Merginoje su perlo auskaru" tai buvo paveikslas, o „Skaisčiajame mėlyje" – Mergelės su kūdikiu statula.
Man labai patinka, kaip ši autorė į kūrinį įaudžia spalvas, istorines detales ir sukuria intymią, paprastą, tačiau jaudinančią rašymo atmosferą. Šis romanas pasakojamas dvejomis laiko juostomis: praeities, kurios pagrindinė herojė neturtinga valstietė Izabelė ir dabarties, kurios veikėja amerikietė Ela, turintinti prancūziškų šaknų.
Nesunku nuspėti, kad šių dviejų skirtingų moterų gyvenimo istorijos susilies, tačiau turiu pripažinti, jog praeities linija buvo žymiai įdomesnė ir stipresnė. Ir Izabelės charakteris buvo daug išraiškingesnis, nei Elos. Amerikietė mane tiesiog erzino ir dabarties linija buvo gana nuobodi, tad suabejojau, ar autorei apskritai vertėjo ją įtraukti į romaną.
O 16 amžiaus Prancūzija ir Šveicarija, atokiu, kalnuotu kaimiškuoju Sevenų regionu aš mėgavausi. Romane yra ir istorinių momentų, paslapčių bei skaudžių likimo išbandymų. Mėgstantiems lengvas istorines knygas apie stiprias moteris, turėtų tikrai patikti.
Pasirodo, kad „Skaistusis mėlis" yra pirmasis autorės romanas, gal todėl jis nėra toks išdirbtas kaip „Mergina su perlo auskaru". Bet man šios rašytojos stilius labai patinka, tad noriu perskaityti ir kitas jos knygas: „Nepaprastosios būtybės" ir „Dama su vienaragiu".
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Argi gali būti geresnis laikas skaityti šią knygą, kai gegužė ir dangus toks skaistus ir mėlynas? Vieni rašytojai į savo istorijas įpina maisto aprašymus, kiti – įspūdingas keliones. O Tracy Chevalier romanų ašimi tampa meno kūrinys. „Merginoje su perlo auskaru" tai buvo paveikslas, o „Skaisčiajame mėlyje" – Mergelės su kūdikiu statula.
Man labai patinka, kaip ši autorė į kūrinį įaudžia spalvas, istorines detales ir sukuria intymią, paprastą, tačiau jaudinančią rašymo atmosferą. Šis romanas pasakojamas dvejomis laiko juostomis: praeities, kurios pagrindinė herojė neturtinga valstietė Izabelė ir dabarties, kurios veikėja amerikietė Ela, turintinti prancūziškų šaknų.
Nesunku nuspėti, kad šių dviejų skirtingų moterų gyvenimo istorijos susilies, tačiau turiu pripažinti, jog praeities linija buvo žymiai įdomesnė ir stipresnė. Ir Izabelės charakteris buvo daug išraiškingesnis, nei Elos. Amerikietė mane tiesiog erzino ir dabarties linija buvo gana nuobodi, tad suabejojau, ar autorei apskritai vertėjo ją įtraukti į romaną.
O 16 amžiaus Prancūzija ir Šveicarija, atokiu, kalnuotu kaimiškuoju Sevenų regionu aš mėgavausi. Romane yra ir istorinių momentų, paslapčių bei skaudžių likimo išbandymų. Mėgstantiems lengvas istorines knygas apie stiprias moteris, turėtų tikrai patikti.
Pasirodo, kad „Skaistusis mėlis" yra pirmasis autorės romanas, gal todėl jis nėra toks išdirbtas kaip „Mergina su perlo auskaru". Bet man šios rašytojos stilius labai patinka, tad noriu perskaityti ir kitas jos knygas: „Nepaprastosios būtybės" ir „Dama su vienaragiu".
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July 23, 2023
First I tried the audiobook and soon gave it up as the reader was quite irritating the way she faked a French accent. So I thought I would like the ebook better, but I am not fond of dual timelines and found Ella very superficial and annoying. I would have given up long ago, only I am a fan of Tracy Chevalier and am quite disappointed.
I am giving up, 50% into the book. Life is too short!
I am giving up, 50% into the book. Life is too short!
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