Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind [Paperback]

An extremely well written story, combining history, geography, haut cuisine, mystery, drama, religion and romance in the most picturesque of settings in Brittany, France.

Frederique Farmer is a young widow who owns and operates an exclusive bed and breakfast establishment at her fifteenth century chateau. She accepts very few guests, and overcharges the ones who pass inspection, but the gourmet meals she serves make it seem like a little piece of heaven. She is assisted only by a graduate student named Severine, who helps out in exchange for room and board.

Her life changes when she finds the journals of Alix de Montet, who was married to the Comte Barenton at the age of thirteen, back in the fifteenth century. Playboy American author Robert Cranwell becomes intrigued by the journals and charms his way into a long stay at the chateau to gather information for the book he intends to write.

The interaction and development of the characters, the vivid descriptions of the food and surroundings, and the excerpts from Alix's Journals make for an enjoyable read, which I highly recommend to you.

Amanda Richards, December 24, 2005

I must be the only one who didn't think this book was wonderful. The story was nice. I enjoyed the excepts from the 14th century journals. The characters were all right. But Ms. Mitchell's writing kind of set my teeth on edge. It seems that the only thing she ever details are the clothing that everyone is wearing! Instead of just saying, "I went up to my room and changed into black pants and a sweater" she takes up entire paragraphs with descriptions like "I went upstairs and changed into slim, black pants and a black boatneck, high brand name sweater and black shoes that my late husband had purchased for me when we went to Switzerland." She describes Cranwell's clothing obsessively - rust colored courduroy pants, gray courduroy pants, brandy colored turtleneck sweaters that brought out the color of his eyes.... I was beginning to believe that he was gay. It's not that I don't care what everyone is wearing, I was just getting tired of every single situation that these characters found themselves in being bogged down in the details of their clothing! Surely there are more important things in a story like this than the fashion!

As for the story, well, it's typical Christian fiction with different characters and a different setting. What I wouldn't give for some Christian author to break the mold and be daring enough to have their characters do something bold! Instead, the two main characters of 'Chateau', Freddie and Cranwell, do very little except debate theology in the kitchen, cook and take walks. The so-called 'intrigue' on the back of the book is Freddie's assistant, Severine's erratic behavior and obsession with finding a lost artifact that proved the chateau's mistress was Jewish. Freddie starts to notice that little things in her home are coming up missing or being moved in a strange way. That's not intrigue, it's an annoyance. It's also boring.
I noticed that someone described this book as historical fiction. It's not. The excerpts from the 14th century journal are, but the story is not. It takes place in modern time, and aside from the fact that takes place in a castle and one of the characters is writing a historical novel, there is nothing 'historical fiction' about this book.

As I started to write this review, I almost liked this book. I was going to give it three stars. Now that I've considered it a little longer, I've come to the conclusion that I really didn't like this book at all. Sorry to all you readers out there who gave it five stars and thought it was wonderful historical fiction, but I didn't think so. I know you will all probably say that this review isn't helpful and whatnot in anger against my opinion, but that's your opinion. This is how I honestly feel about this book. When I finished it last night, I was half convinced that it was okay, but not great. Now, I really know that I didn't like it, and this book will definitely be in my next garage sale.

LP

I loved Chateau of Echoes. It's a romance with a touch of mystery, a modern love triangle with a subplot of another, ancient love triangle. The descriptions of the French countryside, and the gourmet meals our heroine creates, help you experience France as a true insider. (The author lived in France and even includes recipes from a chef there.) The heroine is a widow rebuilding her life and she has bought a French estate to open as a bed and breakfast. She has a thick wall around her heart, refusing to believe in love again, or even God. It takes a very unlikely man to break through her defenses and help her find the courage to live and love again.

This book is published by a Christian publisher. The heroine wrestles with questions about faith and God in a very believable way, making this book appropriate for most anyone, including those who are interested in Christianity but not believers. The Christian content is not heavy-handed or condemning, but rather, the stuff we all ask ourselves when struggling to believe and risk after a loss. However, the tone of the book is never weighed down by these questions; it remains an elegant, indulgent read for romance fans.

This is my second Siri Mitchell book to read, the first being Kissing Adrien. Siri is well on the way to being a favorite among modern chicklit/romance readers. If you haven't read Siri's work yet, this book is the perfect place to begin.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 27 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars