Luc and Lisette Ravens – a former French resistance fighter and a one-time British spy – have somehow survived the war, but recovering from the horrors of those years is a challenge they’re yet to overcome. Casting their fate to the winds, they sail to Tasmania, hoping to rebuild their lives and plant new lavender fields in a land that’s full of promise. In his darkest hour, Swiss law student Max Vogel learns a confronting truth. A long-held family secret links him to the Ravens on the other side of the world, and he finds himself holding the key to his own future and to Luc’s troubled past. Together they return to Provence, so Luc can fulfil the promises by which he has been bound to his beloved Lisette, to his Jewish family, and to the one man responsible for ripping so much from his life. With the future generation of lavender keepers in his care, Luc must lay to rest the ghosts of years gone by so that they all might live and love again. From the south coast of England to the rugged farmland of northern Tasmania and the lively streets of postwar Paris, this, is an extraordinary story of courage, determination and everlasting love from an internationally bestselling author.
Reviews:
‘McIntosh weaves a diverse cast together, and you gain an appreciation for her depth of research into World War II, Europe and Tasmania.’ BOOKS+PUBLISHING
‘A captivating saga of love, loss, and the triumph of the human spirit . . . Fiona McIntosh is an extraordinary storyteller.’ BOOK’D OUT
‘A perfect blend of romance, action, mystery and intrigue by one of our best known and popular authors.’ NOOSA TODAY
Book Club notes:
- Discuss the prologue of the novel. Do you think it was an effective opening to the story? How did it affect you as a reader?
- Was Max Vogel wrong in defying Lisette’s request and bringing his discovery to the attention of Luc nearly two decades after the end of WWII?
- Discuss the tragic events at Clifton Beach in Tasmania. What would any mother do in those circumstances?
- Do you think Luc Bonet is a tragic literary figure or a heroic one?
- Is every adult character in The French Promise damaged as a result of WWII?
- Were you pleased to see Luc find love again?
- Was Luc’s decision to hunt down von Schleigel justified? What would you have done if you were in his shoes?
- Discuss the ways in which Jane helps Luc and Jenny to heal past wounds. In what ways do they help her do the same in return?
- Discuss the different promises that are made throughout the novel. How many of them are kept?
- What do you think might happen to these characters next? Fiona deliberately left the ending of this story open so readers could make up their own minds.