Great Book! Just released in July 2008. This is the story of the Peine family. The author, Sarah-Kate Lynch, sets her tale in the rich and earthy champagne country of France. Patriarch, Olivier Paine, is dead. His daughter, Clementine, has lived with him her whole life, worked side by side with him in the vineyard, and cared for the sour old coot while receiving little of his attention, and even less of his love as a parent. Clementine is certain, now that her father is gone, that she is the rightful heir to the vineyard that has been in her family for generations. She is delighted to have the vineyard, the ancient chateau she lives in, and finally some peace in her life allowing her to do as she pleases.However, when her father’s will is disclosed, Clementine learns that she must share her inheritance with her two half sisters; one she hasn’t seen for twenty years, and the other she didn’t even know existed! The book is filled with comical yet bitter sibling rivalries, long lost love affairs, forgotten scandals, and charming local characters including Clementine’s pet pony ‘Cochon’. The sisters have no choice but to bond together to form a sisterhood of sorts for their ‘inheritance’ to produce a living for them; and somehow come to terms with the father none really knew, but whose love each longed for. The story is engaging with wit and charm. The characters are rich in personality and emotion. This book is truly a toast to the back-breaking work of tending a vineyard, the art of making champagne, and a celebration of sisterhood! ~Debbie Lisman
This book was painful. It literally hurt my brain. It was so annoying to hear about these crybaby sisters, moping and bawling on every other page for no particular reason. The main protagonist, Clementine, is such a pathetic character. I like to read books narrated from the point of view of a person I can look up to or be inspired by, but all I wanted was for Clementine to drown in her own self pitying tears. I also, honestly, got pretty sick of all the french words that were just randomly thrown in. It's one thing when a foreign word is thrown into a sentence in a way that you're able to guess its meaning, but the french words in this book were just thrown in randomly, with no rhyme or reason. Also... WHERE did the whole gypsy thing come from? it was so random, poorly planned and executed, and overall, unnecessary. I feel like the author wrote her book, maybe realized how short it was, and decided to go back and randomly add that in? It just didn't fit, and took away from the story in a big way. Overall, this book was a waste of time and money, but at least it was only 299 pages, so I didn't waste too much time on it, since in read it in a day and a half. Not because I could't put it down... but because I just wanted it to be over!
Do You like book House Of Daughters (2008)?
This was a difficult book for me to get into, simply because I detested the dialogue. It wasn't so much that I couldn't relate to the hateful way in which family can sometimes speak to one another, but more that I found the characters rather juvenile, despite their apparent ages. Yes, the point of the book was its characters' evolution, but having issues doesn't require you to speak as if you are thirteen. It was a short read though, so I felt obliged to finish it. Redeeming qualities included: the gorgeous imagery, the subject matter and the mostly satisfying ending.
—Teresa
The beginning is really slow & I nearly gave up on the characters.. they aren't very lovable & that's being kind. Yet I eventually got involved with all the sister drama, and even enjoyed the constant bombardment with details on how to create various wines, the process from grapes to bottling. And the use of so many French words was a challenge to my vocabulary...but in a good way (there IS a glossary in the back!) And be sure to read the author's comments regarding her research. You might just learn additional on the fine families of French wines & on the history of this art form!And the characters? Give them a chance & they will open up to you!
—Pammy
This book makes me want to live in a vineyard and make wine. The story of three accidental sisters from the House of Peine is an achingly sweet story about the power of a parent's presence (or in this case, absence) in a woman's life. It will break your heart, make you so mad you could spit and cry tears of laughter and joy. At the end you'll want to go to your local wine store for a case of their best champagne, wishing that you, too would discover that you are a sister in the House of Peine.I love Sarah-Kate Lynch's books. If you like this one, read Blessed Are the Cheesemakers and By Bread Alone.
—Phyllis
