Review - Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

The book was sent to me by the author herself and I am so happy that I got it so early. I would have got to it eventually so it was a bonus to get it so early.

Set in Cevennes in a part of France hitherto unknown to me I found Catherine's transfer from England to France absolutely enchanting. She left behind an ex husband, a sister and two grown up children and moved lock, stock and barrel at the age of 48 to a new home, a new country and a completely different way of life. She was also very eager to start up her upholstery/curtain business in rural France - a place where I thought this would have been a non starter from the beginning. It proves how wrong I was, and also showed how courageous Catherine was - willing and able to start anew.

We very often think this starting afresh is a prerogative of the young and that doing something like this at 48 is a bit risky. It is a risk of course but the benefits to Catherine were immense. I loved the story - with nuances of rural French life, with the trials and day to day happenings of a rural community where life revolves around the seasons, the sheep, the goats and things happening to a timetable and a pattern unchanged through centuries.

This was such a happy book to read - the spirit of quiet happiness, contentment and joy seeps through at every turn and one in turn is happy for everyone who appears in the book.

It is not a cheesy read at all, not overpoweringly frenchified as it were but an amazing unput downable book. A must read.