The House I Loved

Book Review

The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay.

I have been away from the library lately. Not by choice. But away nonetheless.

Last weekend, I finally got to go back.

And I stopped off at the large print section, to see if there was anything interesting to pick up.

And I needed something to read on the treadmill.

Sometimes it is good to have been away for awhile.

This book was new to the shelf and new to me. But not the author.

This is the same author that wrote Sarah's Key. I enjoyed that book more than a year ago, so I decided to give this one a try.

And it was an added bonus that it was available in large print, just at the time that I needed a large print book.

Some things are meant to happen.

The House I Loved

This is a novel set in the mid 1800's Paris. Napoleon is Emperor and has decided to modernize the city. This includes widening avenues and boulevards, at the expense of homes and shops.

Madame Rose is nearing the end of her life and she will defend her family's home against the modern tide. It was her husband's family home for generations and now it must go. But first, we get to know Madame Rose's family and friends and the life she lived in that home.

It is not just four walls. Not just a place to hang a hat.

This is a very quick read. It is easy and it flows readily. No great mysteries here, at least none that can't be guessed with plenty of warning.

We get a sense of what Parisians were feeling at the time of these changes in their great city. Mixed reactions, mixed feelings, mixed emotions. I can only imagine what the old city might have been like. Some additional imagery might have helped me, but that is probably only due to my own deficiencies in knowing the history of Paris.

This is gentle reading, enjoyable reading, quick reading. Nothing screams at me as a lack, yet it was just good. Definitely not a waste of my time, but not great.

I did like that the author brings in Madame Bovary, which is still on my reading list. Still. I even started an audio version a year or more ago. But I wasn't able to stick with the audio version. I need to get it in large print sometime.

Anyways, if you are looking for a quick, easy, enjoyable read, give this book a try. It was nice.