Sweet and atmospheric, if you love Europe!

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This book was an interesting read with some information about France shortly after WWII. The main character is a grown man now but much of the book is about his time as a 6-8 year old boy in the years after the war. He was mute after a traumatic experience at the end of the war; reading things from that view was interesting. I found the reflections of a 6 yr old boy to be a bit wise for his years but maybe that was because of his experiences. There was one point in the book where, as a teenager, he becomes a gang member and the language and behavior during that time is a bit crude and rough. Overall, the book ends okay and the mystery of the painting is finally solved!

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Interesting book; good story--from the view of the son and jumps from present to past events...main story line is just after WWII about the lives of a French woman who married and had a son by the occupying German officer--so she is viewed as a collaborator and is an outcast in the small town. As a woman, I found a number of times the male main character had actions that did not contribute to the story line . . . author mentions in the back of the book that she enjoyed writing from a male perspective and this was her first time -- might account for what I found as disconnects. Also found that after the detailed story the ending wrapped up too fast with some jumps to make it neat. Worth the read.

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