Wild Lavender
When 14-year-old Simone Fleurier is sent away from her family’s lavender farm in Provence to work for her miserable great-aunt in Marseilles, she struggles initially with homesickness and grief. However, by following her aunt’s glamorous tenant Camille Casal, she discovers the exciting world of the music hall and learns to use her own talents as a singer and dancer. But while Simone rises to fame in the 1920s and 30s, war is brewing – one that will test her courage and capacity to love to its limits.
There is much to enjoy in this engaging novel, from the evocative locations to the depiction of backstage politics and the vivid vignettes of minor characters. My main criticism is that the central section of the book is too long and loses tension. Simone’s career setbacks seem too easily resolved, and she finds herself in one of those perfect relationships that don’t exist outside books, where neither partner is ever cranky or unreasonable. At times Simone herself comes across as a little too perfect. I got excited by the hints that she might become extravagant or spoilt by her early success, like Pip in Great Expectations, but Alexandra never followed through on this theme. However, in the third section, when WWII begins, the pace picks up and I was genuinely moved by the bittersweet ending.
I only have two tiny quibbles. In WWI, the French army consisted of reservists rather than volunteers, since pre-war most men of military age were expected to do some military service. And in the 1920s, the foxtrot was a much livelier, more bouncy dance than its modern namesake. But overall, I enjoyed this book and would be willing to read more by the same author.
