The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

*Disclosure of material connection-I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

An artist lost to history, a family abandoned to its secrets, and the woman whose search for meaning unearths it all in a sweeping and expressive story from the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris.

Long, lonely years have passed for the crumbling Château Clement, nestled well beyond the rolling lavender fields and popular tourist attractions of Provence. Once a bustling and dignified ancestral estate, now all that remains is the château's gruff, elderly owner and the softly whispered secrets of generations buried and forgotten.
 
But time has a way of exposing history's dark stains, and when American photographer Cady Drake finds herself drawn to the château and its antique carousel, she longs to explore the relic's shadowy origins beyond the small scope of her freelance assignment. As Cady digs deeper into the past, unearthing century-old photographs of the Clement carousel and its creators, she might be the one person who can bring the past to light and reunite a family torn apart.

My thoughts-

I often find myself drawn to books that take place in more than one time period, especially if one of the time periods happens to be during WWII. I have always gravitated towards stories set during that time, and lately I am especially interested in stories that deal with the French Resistance Movement. What I really loved about The Lost Carousel of Provence is that it is full of layers- there are 3 time periods, and one of the main characters is in both of them. His character is significantly younger in the older time period and I think Juliet Blackwell does a terrific job at making sure we see what has happened in his younger years has really effected how he is in the present day story. I like that there is an element of mystery surrounding Fabrice and his direct ancestors both in the past and present. I found him to be the fabric that tied all of the stories in each time together. I liked that there were elements of suspense, romance, and history running throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII, France, and Women's Fiction.