From AudioFile
Alain returns to his homestead in the south of France after a long absence. He finds his patrician relatives in turmoil because his morose, aged cousin, the mayor, wants to marry a grocers daughter, over the objections of both families. Upon investigating, Alain finds himself falling for the girl himself. Though the story apparently takes place in modern times, the characters speak and act like those in the authors popular Aubrey/Maturin novels, set in the nineteenth century. Long rhetorical speeches abound, seasoned with touches of dry humor and a pronounced continental atmosphere. All is mothers milk to narrator Simon Vance, whose gusto, lingual aplomb, and large repertoire of characterizations keep listeners alert through many a fustian passage. Y.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Review
'You are in for the treat of your lives. Thank God for Patrick O'Brian: his genius illuminates the literature of the English language, and lightens the lives of those who read him.' Irish Times 'Any contemporary novelist should recognize in Patrick O'Brian a Master of the Art.' Sunday Telegraph 'The best historical novels ever written.' New York Times
