Book Review: Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks

 

 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Marseille, France, 1792. Civil unrest and tension grip French society as revolution becomes more and more likely. Marie-Caroline--a royalist, and Gilles--a Jacobin, are caught in the middle of the uncertainty. Though technically in the same social class, they see things very differently and cannot help but feel like oil and water around each other. That is, until circumstances require that they learn trust each other or suffer dire consequences. Can a precarious relationship survive between Marie-Caroline and Gilles when betrayal and violence between their respective political parties seem to swirl around them?

I was very impressed by the character development in this book. It felt to me like Marie-Caroline had it all figured out from the beginning and her character development wasn't nearly as stark as Gilles'. Gilles, however, began the story as a young revolutionary who allowed others to think for him, and grew into a man, dedicated to his family and friends, who could think for himself. This was satisfying to witness as the story progressed.

The historicity of the book was also impressive to me. I am no expert in French history or culture, but it definitely appeared that Arlem Hawks did her fair share of research on French culture, language, and history in order to give her book a good, accurate foundation. It rang authentic to me.

On a similar subject, I didn't know a lot about the French Revolution before reading this book. I think I had learned some things before but it has been at least a decade since I took a Western History class, so I have forgotten a lot of it. There were a lot of thought-provoking moments in this book where you really question the actions of the revolutionaries while also questioning just how many royalists were as bad and self-centered as they were painted at the time.  These passages prompted me to take a step back and try to see others' viewpoints in my own life.  Definitely worthwhile and thought-provoking.

The romance in this book was sweet and sincere. I appreciate that one of its hallmarks is self-control, which seems to be rare in books and other media. Likewise refreshing about their relationship is that it is founded upon mutual respect and trust, in addition to self-control.

In summary, this was a good read. Refreshing and thought-provoking and squeaky-clean.

Content Guide:

Sex & Affection--Kissing, a man is described as having dishonorable intentions toward a young woman
Language--Insults and threats are directed toward multiple people
Drugs, Alcohol, & Substance Use--Coffee is consumed, some alcohol consumption
Violence & Crime--Vandalism, ransacking, and arson are committed. Victims of violence are described in general terms, a guillotine is used but the incident is not described in detail.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.