Kate Mosse is back with a haunting story from the French mountains.
The Great War has been over for ten years, but Freddie still hasn't recovered from the loss of his brother. Even now, on holiday in south-west France, he cannot escape his grief. When his car crashes, Freddie stumbles down from the hills to a village nearby. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful young woman who is also mourning a lost generation.
Her story of the fate of her family moves him deeply. But it will also lead Freddie to the caves above the village - and to the heart of a shocking secret. By turns thrilling, poignant and haunting, this is a story of two lives touched by war and transformed by courage.
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[He walked like a man recently returned to the world. Every step was careful, deliberate. Every step to be relished]***
(Orion, 1 October 2010, charity shop buy)
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I thoroughly enjoyed The Winter Ghosts.
I love the setting of the novel, the author really bring the period and the French mountains to vivid life. I felt I was really there with Freddie when his car crashed and as he made his way to the village.
The characters are well-written. Aside from the prologue, the book is told in the first person from Freddie's point of view. I loved his voice. It pulled me into the story.
I loved the premise of The Winter Ghosts, Freddie and Fabrissa, two lost, damaged people who find each other, who make a once-in-a-lifetime connection. I also loved the surprising turn of events when Freddie ends up exploring the caves above the village.
The Winter Ghosts is chilling, unsettling and atmospheric, a great read.