The Lavender Keeper

            This is amazing book about love, courage, suffering and loss. Author of this book, Fiona McIntosh, is author of children and adult books, who lives in Australia. Some of her books are: The French Promise, Nightingale, The Perfumer’s Secret, The Tailor’s girl, Tho Chocolate Tin etc. “The Lavender Keeper” takes place during World War II and German occupation of France. The main characters in this book are: Lisette Forestier, young, beautiful and intelligent British spy and Luc Bonet, lavender farmer from France, member of French Resistance. As it happens they will fall in love, in time when the whole world is shrouded in hatred. 

            This book will lead you to the amazing journey through the Luberon in south France, which writer describes as “laughing country girl” and Paris, described as the “chic woman”.  I felt like I am in Luberon walking through lavender fields, enjoying baked breads in Saignon, exploring the L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. And I fell in love with Paris, it is described in such way that I felt like I visited places as The Tuileries Gardens, Montmartre, Luxemburg Gardens, Pont Neuf and many others.

            Once when I started reading this book it was really hard to pause, I was so interested to find out what will happen with main characters, how their stories will unfold. Also, this book left me thinking about destiny of many people during World War II, their suffering, losses and inevitable changes in their lives. I love the character of Lisette Forestier, who lives alone in London and is recruited to go to occupied France as British spy. I can’t imagine how much courage such life required and what are the feelings and fears faced by such women. I like that author embodied their destinies in Lisette’s character and in that way paid tribute to them. It is amazing how much different human personalities are described in this book and especially how in the context of war some may become heros, others villains, collaborators with enemies, spies, resistance fighters etc. Also, as in life nothing is black or white, so some characters can be regarded as heros and villains at the same time, or their actions can be seen as heroic and unmoral in the same time. I am amazed how all these topics are embodied in book in such readable way and there is so much to discuss after reading this book, that it will be hard to take it out from your head long time after finishing the reading. 

            The greatest impression on me left the lavender fields. I love how symbolism of lavender is covered in this book and how seeds of flower that symbolize love, devotion and purity are saved during war for protection during wartime, and hope and promise of new life after war. In that way seeds of flower became seeds of new, better and happier life. Lavender fields are described in this book in such enchanting way that I almost could smell lavender and see those beautiful purple fields. And it made me very happy to find out that end of this book was not end of the Luc’s and Lisette’s story and that their thrilling life story continues in second sequel of this book “The French Promise”.