Off the Wild Coast of Brittany

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Hope Newhouse, Xe Sands

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

An unforgettable story of resilience and resistance set during WWII and present-day France on a secluded island off the coast of Brittany

Natalie Morgen made a name for herself with a memoir about overcoming her harsh childhood after finding a new life in Paris. After falling in love with a classically trained chef, they moved together to his ancestral home, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Brittany.

But then Francois-Xavier breaks things off with her without warning, leaving her flat broke and in the middle of renovating the guesthouse they planned to open for business. Natalie's already struggling when her sister, Alex, shows up unannounced. The sisters form an unlikely partnership to save the guesthouse, reluctantly admitting their secrets to each other as they begin to heal the scars of their shared past.

But the property harbors hidden stories of its own. During World War II, every man of fighting age on the island fled to England to join the Free French forces. The women and children were left on their own...until 300 German troops took up residence, living side-by-side with the French women on the tiny island for the next several years. 

When Natalie and Alex unearth an old cookbook in a hidden cupboard, they find handwritten recipes that reveal old secrets. With the help of locals, the Morgen sisters begin to unravel the relationship between Violette, a young islander whose family ran the guesthouse during WWII, and Rainier, a German military customs official with a devastating secret of his own.

©2021 Juliet Blackwell (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Swept away by this wonderful story

Very enjoyable and interesting story. I learned so much - felt like I was there among the rocks and stony paths of the island. Narration was perfect. Highly recommend!

Borrrring!

Kept listening...but alas. A lot of words...but I couldn’t listen anymore so sorry

Disappointment and almost stopped listening

The story drags on and on and on and to top that off Ms Sands voice is soooo dreamy and slow that it kept putting me to sleep until I sped it up. I don't recommend this book and I usually love Juliet Blackwell's stuff.

A beautiful story woven from the past

I love Juliet Blackwell’s writing. Her stories are so absorbable. From beginning to end the characters are so real and the reader becomes the protagonist.
This story of sister love and overcoming challenges inspires.

Book hits close to home

I really enjoyed this book. The story, the narrator, everything. When I got to the part about RP, I cried. My dad went completely blind from RP when he was 40 years old in the mid 1970’s. Alex’s journey in so many ways mirrored my dads. But my dad could not pull himself out of his pitty party and stayed that way until his passing 23 years later.

Speechless!

Just when I believed XE Sands could not surpass herself in narrating a novel, here she is, again, in all of her brilliance!! To add to the incomparable abilities of Ms. Sands, Hope Newhouse joins her. This story captivated me from the opening moments until the last ‘pages’. Typically I am not a fan of stories told in present time and reverting to the past. However, Juliet Blackwell drew me in with her ingenious abilities to craft such a story. I found myself listening for literally HOURS at a time. As I always proclaim, I do not presume to tell another human being what is good, or not so good, about a novel. From my perspective, tho, “Off the Coast of Brittany” is well worth the time and credit I spent.

Riveting and enchanting

This is riveting yet also enchanting story. It’s a story about love, loss, struggle and hope and is beautifully expressed You can’t help but fall in love with this island and its people. The narrators are outstanding. But this book also gives you insight into the people who endured World War II. You learn a lot and I left with an appreciation of the struggles people faced. I highly recommend this book..

Language in the book

I really liked the book and I think the narrator is excellent. A good effort was made but I did wince at most of the French pronunciation. I think the narrator should have had help from a coach before attempting to read the French.