Map of the Heart: A Novel by Susan Wiggs (Epub)

Description

Widowed by an unspeakable tragedy, Camille Palmer has made her peace with the past and settled into the quiet safety of life with her teenage daughter Julie in a sleepy coastal town. Then the arrival of a mysterious package breaks open the door to her family’s secret past. In uncovering a hidden history, Camille has no idea that she’s embarking on an adventure that will utterly transform her.

Camille, Julie, and Camille’s father return to the French town of his youth, sparking unexpected memories — recollections that will lead them back to the dark days of the Second World War. And it is in the stunning Provençal countryside that they will uncover their family’s surprising history.

While Provence offers answers about the past, it also holds the key to Camille’s future. Along the way, she meets a former naval officer who stirs a passion deep within her — a feeling that she thought she’d never experience again.

“Susan Wiggs seamlessly melds historical drama with contemporary romance,” raves Mary Kay Andrews. Now, this hugely popular author has created her biggest, most powerful story yet — a beautiful and heartfelt novel that celebrates the bonds of family and pays homage to the sacrifices of the past.

User’s Reviews

Review “A sweeping story that spans generations and continents. No one knows a woman’s heart like Susan Wiggs.” (Mary Alice Monroe)“Wiggs bridges eras of history and the depths of the human heart in this emotional story of a family shaped by tragedies both near and distant.” (Publishers Weekly)“Wiggs seamlessly weaves a multigenerational story that will make you laugh, make you cry and leave you with a sigh of satisfaction as you turn the final page.” (BookPage.com)“The characters are warm and human, with the mysteries adding just enough spice.” (Library Journal)Praise for Map of the Heart: “A moving, sophisticated story of fathers and daughters, love and loss, secrets and lies, rebellion and redemption.” (Jane Green)“Wiggs handles characters, setting, and plot with perfect aplomb while creating an unforgettable story about love, loss, family, and friendship that will resonate with readers long after they have turned the last page of this exquisitely crafted story.” (Booklist (starred review)) –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review “A sweeping story that spans generations and continents. No one knows a woman’s heart like Susan Wiggs.” — Mary Alice Monroe“Wiggs bridges eras of history and the depths of the human heart in this emotional story of a family shaped by tragedies both near and distant.” — Publishers Weekly“Wiggs seamlessly weaves a multigenerational story that will make you laugh, make you cry and leave you with a sigh of satisfaction as you turn the final page.” — BookPage.com“The characters are warm and human, with the mysteries adding just enough spice.” — Library JournalPraise for Map of the Heart: “A moving, sophisticated story of fathers and daughters, love and loss, secrets and lies, rebellion and redemption.” — Jane Green“Wiggs handles characters, setting, and plot with perfect aplomb while creating an unforgettable story about love, loss, family, and friendship that will resonate with readers long after they have turned the last page of this exquisitely crafted story.” — Booklist (starred review) –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ You know when you finish a book and just want to savor it? That’s how I felt about Map of the Heart. Told from differing points of view and at different times, I couldn’t put it down.Camille, after losing her husband, seems to have lost her spirit. She spends most of her time in her dark room, developing photos that, without her talent, might never be seen. Her daughter, Julie, is battling being 14, overweight, with braces and glasses, and being bullied. An accident causes Camille to ruin some film for a client. Finn is not happy with Camille on one hand, but is intrigued with her on the other. Finn is a history professor, living in the South of FranceCamille’s father, Henri, an orphan almost from the day he was born, plans a trip to his boyhood home in the South of France after receipt of a bundle of photos and a camera, from the tenants living in his boyhood home.Flash back to WWII and a girl, Lizette, Henri’s mother, who gives up her ‘freedom’ by marrying, to protect her loved ones, lives through horrific times during the German occupation of France, then finds love for a time.I’m still in awe of how deftly Ms. Wiggs handled the switch from present day to WWII. Learning about Lizette and how she had to handle her family, her marriage, and the occupation, was eye opening. Each time the book went from 2017 to 1944, felt right.Map of the Heart, discussed bullying, adolescent angst, death of a loved one, family relationships, and so much more. I still feel emotional about this story almost a week after finishing. It touched me.

⭐ Map of the Heart: A Novel is by Susan Wiggs. After having written more than fifty novels, you would think her writing would get stale and old; but it definitely does not. Susan writes with a freshness and energy that is amazing. Her writing takes you into the book until you are right beside the characters as you read. It is very realistic and deals with a very old mystery and with the discovery of love. It takes place alternatively in the present and in the past during World War II.Camille Adams develops film which is so old it might be lost. She is utterly fascinated by bringing seemingly lost pictures back. It suits her just as life near the Chesapeake. Here with her daughter, Julie, she can be alone and dream about her life with Jace. She tried dating; but nothing seemed to click with anyone. At least she has her work. Now she is trying to rescue a roll of thirty-five-millimeter film for a history professor names Malcolm Finnemore. This is a rush job but she likes deadlines. Today, she is interrupted by a phone call from Julie’s school stating Julie was taken to the hospital after a head injury in the surf rescue team. As she takes off for the hospital, she exposes the film without thinking.With her hands full with a teenager, Camille’s life seems to be full; but as her friendship with Finn grows and as she and her Father and Julie spend the summer in France trying to find out his lineage, she comes to realize how she is shortchanging her life and Julie’s. Can she change though?

⭐ OK…It’s a romance novel. And generally I don’t like Romance novels. At first, I thought this one would be just another Romance novel; fine for the book group but not for me. Then it caught me. The story switches in time and in place. There is a historical element, a geographic element, you can feel the pressure on young folks who lived through WWII, you can taste the warmth of a croissant in Provence, you can live in a tourist town in the US, you can be in France. And the weaving of photography through the story is interesting and a nice touch. So it’s a romance novel (with all the emotional ups and downs) but it’s interesting. Throw in the story of a child who is bullied. Throw in a mystery. Throw in some philosophy from writers and photographers and you have a more than expected. It has plenty to think about, it’s an interesting story, and it’s light. A nice change from the more somber fare that I’ve been reading lately!

⭐ I didn’t buy the eBook, I bought the hardcover version, first of all.This book was okay, but not anywhere near what I feel is her best work. Since I’m not one who in general enjoys books which keep going back and forth between current times and past decades, especially anything which involves the Nazis and/or war, I was often bored and put the book down to go do something else. I found the book to be tedious at times.I don’t have the heart, though, to give it only one or two stars simply because I’m well aware that there are readers out there who DO love this type of novel, and because of that will consider it to be excellent work.Meaning, I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t LOVE it by any means. Others will.

⭐ Absolutely loved this story until the end when it left me hanging. What happened with Camille and Finn???? What happened with Julie and her so called friends at school???? What happened with Henry and his Father?????please tell me there is another story to answer these questions.OK, I was reading on two different devices and for some reason, one of them cut off when Henry met his dad so I was not happy. I picked up the other device and discovered the rest of the story and now, I am so glad I looked for it. This was a wonderful story of how love can stand the test of time and still be just as strong. Wish Henry could have found his Dad earlier in life but at least he found him. So glad Julie was able to overcome her problems at school (still don’t like Vanessa)!!! I think if Camille and Finn had not got back together I would have had to hunt her down and knock some sense into her!!Looking forward to next Susan Wiggs read.

⭐ I had never read Susan Wiggs before. We were reading this book for book club but I am so happy I did! I now have another great author to read. I was pleasantly surprised she set the book first in “Bethany Bay” which would be the fictional Bethany Beach-my in laws built a beach house there in 1959 so I have been going there since I dated my husband (we have been married 24 years) Getting back to the book…not giving away the whole plot. It is set between DE and France.. The author does a terrific job of doing a historical point of view while in France. It is a story about finding and losing love in many different ways. Ms. Wiggs does a fantastic job on telling those stories. It is very creative, intriguing and it is one of those books you just want to keep reading.

⭐ Susan Wiggs does it again – a beautiful story of love and family. This is a story of a young widow, her troubled teenage daughter, and the hope of healing and love for the future. It centers around an old roll of film with pictures revealing a family mystery that changes the course of Camille and Julie’s lives. Enter Finn – a handsome history professor – to help solve the mystery.The author creates wonderfully relatable characters that seem like old friends by the end of the book. She tells the story in present time with sections of flashbacks to give us details of the unfolding mystery story from WWII. I appreciate her ability to show the developing and deepening love between characters without having to get overtly graphic as the romance unfolds.I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it!

⭐ I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction lately, and this did not disappoint. The current story of Camille and Finn and her daughter Julie, interspersed with the poignant WWII story of Camille’s grandmother Lisette and what she experienced towards the end of the war, all made for a can’t-put-down kind of book. Although I usually prefer not to jump back and forth between time periods, it worked perfectly here. Both stories flowed seemlessly and tied together perfectly at the end. Would definitely recommend.

⭐ Susan Wiggs. I have now read four of your books, this one, Oysterville Sewing Circle, The Lost and Found Bookstore and Between You and Me. These books are more to me than an incredible read or a way to escape this unprecedented COVID world we are living in. They have helped me to understand why I have lost me and my passion for life. The amazing ability you have to relate human behaviour and touch the reader is remarkable. It is such a joy, an adventure and, for me personally, mind opening to read your books. I will continue to read your many other books to be uplifted by your creative mind. Thank you sincerely.

⭐ I wish I could give this a 10. I have read read many of Ms. Wiggins’ books-my first one was Table for Five. This most recent book showed such maturity & sensitivity. The colorful dialogue & descriptions of war-torn France & the beautiful recovery of a beautiful country. The multi-layered dialogue put me right there. I always find it amazing when an author can write dialogue differences of men & women, moody teenagers & mean girls. I could not put this book down & was sad when it was done.

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