The House at Zaronza by Vanessa Couchman

This is the first novel by Vanessa Couchman.  The story opens with Rachel Swift who arrives in Corsica to find out more about her Corsican grandmother, whom she never knew.  While staying at a guesthouse she discovers some passionate love letters that the proprietor found when he was restoring the house.  The letters are unsigned and simply addressed to Maria.  They captivate Rachel’s imagination and, in her quest to find more, she ends up meeting an old woman who gives her Maria’s memoir to read.    The story is then Maria’s as the reader is taken on the journey of her life from the confines of a strict bourgeois family to France and the horrors of WW1, where she nurses the wounded.  There is a strong sense of place in Vanessa’s writing, which I loved.  The descriptions of Corsica are beautiful.   I’m very much looking forward to reading Vanessa’s next book.  

The Parisot Literary Festival 2014

The Parisot Literary Festival was such a resounding success last year that it is back this year on 10, 11 and 12 October. Among the authors appearing is Vanessa Couchman who will be presenting her debut novel, The House at Zaronza.  Amanda Hodgkinson, who gave an entertaining and informative talk last year on her first novel, 22 Britannia Road, is returning this year to talk about her second novel, Spilt Milk.    Information on all the authors speaking at the event can be found here.