Sea of Memories

I just finished reading "Sea of Memories" and loved it. I could not put it down. It was a little slow moving at first, but once it picked up a quicker pace, the story just got better and better. "Sea of Memories" was my introduction to the author, Fiona Valpy. I am so glad to have "met" her and look forward to meeting her again through her wonderful stories. I like her style of writing. I felt like I was there at every turn. I was sitting in the nursing home with Ella and Kendra. I was in France on the Ile de Re in the lovely house there and I went sailing on Bijou and my heart pounded when I was on a mission with Ella and got lost. Throughout this beautiful story, I experienced so many different emotions - joy, sadness, laughter, love, anger (not too much anger) just a sprinkle here and there. I experienced the heartbreak of war, the joy of friendship, the joy of falling in love for the first time and the power of that first kiss, that first love. I love stories that take place in Scotland and in France. I got to visit both places, I especially loved being on the island in France and enjoying the sun, the sea, the fine wine, the pastries and the salted caramel ice cream and the French baguette, the French people, the art, the freedom of living by the sea and being outdoors. It is such a beautiful story and the ending gave me hope for Kendra and Dan and hope for Finn when they embark upon a new way of life. I am left wondering about Rhona and her reaction to the beautiful blue "kintsukuroi" bowl. I wonder how Rhona reacted to the story told by Ella. I wonder, did she forgive? Did she understand? I would love to know Rhona's thoughts and would love to be there to hear the conversation between Rhona and Kendra. I normally do not read romance stories as most are so predictable and some can be trashy but this story is far from predictable and certainly not trashy. I highly recommend it and can't wait to read the next Fiona Valpy book.

The story of Ella, the main character, is a story that penetrates through our own experiences to reveal the truth of what is most important in anyone's life. She has a rather ordinary but pleasant enough childhood, but as a young woman gets exposed to a life that offers a freedom she has never known. She meets a family that lives on an island off the coast of France that is as opposite to her environment in Scotland as you can get. Besides falling in love with the boy of the two children, she becomes exceptionally close to his sister as well and their very enchanting way of life. Ella becomes aware of things, feelings and ideas she has never entertained before. Unfortunately, World War 2 interrupts her ideallic new life and she needs to leave. The story shows her character as she gets involved in the war effort and sends her future down a different path than she had planned when she is informed, erroneously, that her young love has died. We all make mistakes in our lives and Ella has to cope with a number of them. How she does so is the heart of the matter in this story. The consequences of our actions and the difficulty of judging the right thing to do affects both men and women alike. This is a story that would appeal to both genders. The authors mastery of the language is poetic in nature. It was engrossing and a true pleasure to read. It was so fulfilling to come across someone who actually can write at a higher level than most. Read this book!

This book left me with such a wonderful feeling of happiness and peace. Although the characters have truly difficult life challenges, the story has beautiful imagery and I finished it the book feeling happy to have read it (and wanting to visit the island she describes).

this is the second book i have read by this author. the first was well written and thoughtful, and led me to try this book and i am so glad i gave this a chance!. the author has a wonderful way of painting a picture with words. it's a rare gift nowadays, when books seem often to be written as soft porn or with the thought to be turned into a movie script. This story, however, weaves around your heart and thoughts, and the images and the feelings the story evokes follow you throughout the day. i actually feel i have been to the places described in the book. but beyond the locales, the characters developed within the pages are people you want to know . I would love to claim these people as friends and family,... and isnt it lucky that as characters in a book we can take them along as friends forever? this is a gentle, thoughtful story of love and loving. it is not a romance novel. please take your time reading this story, dont rush through it. allow it to seep into your psyche. this book is worth the time.

This story, is itself a work of art, in much the same way as Christophe’s paintings. A generational story of love found, lost and found again. Heartbreak and forgiveness. Of the struggles we all face throughout our lives and how we choose to deal with them. How everything we do affects those around us, for good and bad. And how we need to search for beauty even in the most dire of circumstances. To love and laugh and not hold grudges. I didn’t want this story to end even though I knew it must. Just like I have watched those around me in my own life, grow old and leave me behind. Parents, siblings, friends, while I go on like Ella. This book touched my heart and my soul and I will be forever grateful that I found it. It is a story I won’t soon forget. I will read it again and again until it is an old familiar friend. The questions I had at the end will likely go unanswered and maybe it’s better to wonder and hope for the best. Maybe, if we are lucky, Ms. Valpy will write stories from Rhona and Christophe's perspectives and Kendra's family in the aftermath of an astonishing gift. This story is a perfect example of how the young let life slip away and the old wish for the opportunity to start over. And, at the end, all we can hope for is a life story full of good memories, few regrets and the opportunity to help others with what life has taught us, before it’s too late.

Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy This is a new-to-me author, who has such fabulous talent. I think back to college English classes, where my professors would tell me to use my words to paint a picture. Fiona Valpy painted a masterpiece with her words. A dying, somewhat estranged grandmother. A granddaughter with dreams of being a writer, raising her autistic son. Dynamics of different types of relationships. First loves and lasting loves. A cast of characters that are so multi-year that you feel like there are layers yet to be discovered even as the book ends, where we've barely grazed the surface of their lives. Characters that capture your heart and don't let go. And the storyline! A girl teaching the brink of womanhood on the cusp of the beginning of WWII. What better way to see what you're truly made of when you're faced with mortality all around you for year after year. This book used a technique that I just love when done correctly....flashbacks! The author interspersed pieces of Granny Ella's life into The present day story of Kendra writing Ella's story. I loved learning about Ella's life as Kendra did. It gave such great insight into why the story needed to be told. It helped me relate to Ella more. It helped give Kendra a different outlook on her own life and filled her with hope for the future. I loved every bit of this book. I had a hard time setting the book down. It was super easy to get drawn right back into the story when you pick it back up too! It made me experience a lot of different feelings. I appreciated that there was no bad language or bedroom scenes. Highly recommend!

I loved this book by the end. The last third had me blubbering like a baby! For someone who rarely cries, that's telling! The story is about an old woman relating her life story to her granddaughter so that she writes a book of her life. Her memories mostly surround the WWII Era in Scotland and France where, as a young woman, she finds love. I don't want to be spoil the story, but it's a very creative plot......a heart wrenching, soul shaking story that I found hard to put down after the first quarter of the book. I was a little put off by the multitude of metaphors in the beginning. And I would have liked to have known what Rhona felt at the end. The pure love that flows between Christophe, Ella and Caroline is beautiful. I would have loved this book cover to have had "the painting" on it, but I guess that's to be left to the reader's imagination. So be it! I loved the book. I wholeheartedly recommend to readers of romance and historical fiction. A true work of art!

I so enjoyed this story. Sweet and precious while still showing difficulties of life so very well written and expressed.

I loved the story.

Very nicely written book in perfect background setup. N the timeline n setup changes the feel n emotional connection with the progress of storyline. All character r relatable in terms of behaviour n rections .

I really loved this book. Whilst it encompassed a time generation between the grandmother Ella and her grandchild Kendra, it also encompassed a time of hardship, sacrifice and bravery experienced by every day folk during the Second World War both in France and England which was in itself a great story. But also there was so much more - loyalty,enduring friendship which survived the decades, and a broader understanding of love and the many different capacities of love, whether it be children, friendship, loyalty to country, lover and ultimately - husband. The history involving France and England during the war was historically interesting and moving, and even more so the courage of the main character Ella, her bravery in war, but also her capacity to love and give love. Make no mistake - not a soppy love story, but a story of courage and sacrifice. Definitely five stars for me. Thank you Fiona Valpy for your wonderful novel and the wonderful journey you took me on!! I would love to go to Ile de Re', so probably good for France's tourism as well !!!

A lovely story, written with delicacy and using vividly descriptive writing, transporting the reader to another world. The trials and tribulations of everyday life and relationships are handled so well with thought-provoking passages. A lovely novel. This author never disappoints.

One of the most beautiful, touching & heartbreaking stories I have read. Exquisitely written, beautiful story line & so emotional. This book is an absolute gem.