A Christmas filled with memories of the past and hope for the future

Synopsis

As a toddler Elodie Jacques was abandoned by her mother and left in the care of her French grandmother, Gabriella in Dartmouth, Devon.

Now 24 years old, Elodie struggles to reconcile the deep anger for the mother she has never since seen.

When Gabriella unexpectedly announces she wants the two of them to spend Christmas and her 70th birthday in her home town of Juan-les-Pins in the South of France Elodie is thrilled.

Gabriella meanwhile has her own ulterior motives for wanting to return after 40 years, a daunting homecoming potentially filled with memories, secrets and recriminations.

With Juan-les-Pins pulsing with lights, decorations and the festive spirit, Christmas promises to be filled with fun. But when Elodie learns there is the possibility that her long absent mother may join them she hides her feelings behind a show of indifference and animosity.

Will there be the reconciliation that Gabriella longs for – or will the spirit of Christmas fail to work its magic?

My review

Elodie Jacques grew up with her French grandmother Gabriella in Dartmouth after her own mother abandoned her.
She never understood how a mother could just leave her child for a man, and she is still resenting her mother for it, even if Gabby gave her all the love she needed.
When Gabby announces her wish to spend Christmas and her 70th birthday in her home town in the south of France, Elodie sees this as a chance to gather her thoughts and think about her future.
But Elodie doesn’t know that Gabby has her own reasons to return to Juan – les – Pins, as Gabby left her home 40 years ago and returning will open those wounds that actually never truly healed…
And when there is a small chance of Elodie’s mother returning on the scene, may this be a Christmas filled with forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts? 

Jennifer Bohnet has the talent of writing stories that are sweeping you off your feet. And with this story taking place around Christmas it just got better! 

I loved how this stories is focussed on two characters, a grandmother and a granddaughter who are looking after each other, but also how different they are from each other. 

First we have Gabby, who left her life in France behind to start over in Devon, but has never been able to have closure over her previous life.
I found it first of all courageous to see how she was able to start a new life without the people she loved and especially in her state.
But it was also very clear that she missed her home, knowing she wouldn’t be able to return to her home and family because of her situation. 

I also admired her for making up for her own daughter’s mistake, and raising Elodie on her own. And while I, just like Elodie can’t comprehend why a mother would leave her child behind, I also understood Gabby, because in the end, Elodie’s mother is her own daughter, who she loves deeply, despite the mistakes she made… 

And then there is Elodie, a young woman raised by her grandmother, feeling that she was not worth for her mother to stay…
Elodie needs a change in her life, but doesn’t know what direction to take. And that makes her very recognizable, because I think we all have been in that phase, wanting a change but not knowing where to turn… 

Going to Juan – les – Pins has a different meaning to both women. I was curious to know Gabby’s full story and I also wanted to know if Elodie would find answers to her own questions.
I passed Antibes once very quickly, but I can easily that Juan – les – Pins, by just reading its descriptions made me fall in love with the place.
Not only of its beauty, but also with how welcomed Gabby and Elodie were by its inhabitants. 

It was sweet to read how both Gabby and Elodie met new friends, how the place, even with Gabby’s sad memories, truly felt like home and how future plans were made. 

But also the author managed to show us that there always two sides of a story, especially when Elodie’s mother is back on the scene. While it was easy to initially condemn her, when reading how her life was, it made me feel sad and made me understand that in this case, there were more than just one person left heart – broken… 

I loved reading this marvellous story, filled with both holiday feelings and Christmas feelings. But after finishing the last chapter, the thing that I remembered the most of it, was that everyone deserves forgiveness. And that starting over, at a new place or an old place, can be the start of a wonderful next chapter in life and can bring you more happiness, love and joy than before!