Wild Lavender by Belinda Alexandra

I found a wonderful new author! It's been a long time since I have discovered a story that has enveloped me like this. I was referred to this book by people who loved The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simmons, one of my favorite authors. I was skeptical because, to me, Horseman was as close to perfect as a novel can get, so how could another book come even close to living up to perfection? Okay, so, it isn't perfect, but it surely was excellent.
Wild Lavender takes place in 1920's France and continues through WW2. It is two stories wrapped up into one. The first is Simone Fleuriere's (the daughter of lavender farmers in Provence) struggle to make something of herself and her life, to overcome the adversity of being destitute and dependent on people with very small hearts. The second revolves around her decisions and tribulations during the war in occupied France. This book took my breath away. I could smell the lavender, feel the fear in Paris during the war, and empathize with Simone. She is a a fully rounded, breathing character who pulsates with life. She is heroic, in the sense that she puts her life on the line for others, even for pets who are tossed heartlessly out on the street, and she handles her own heartbreaks with quiet, if sad, dignity.
I love WW2 era dramas- I don't know why, but this particular period speaks to me, almost as if I were there. Just as Horseman brought alive WW2 era Leningrad, Lavender brings WW2 era Paris to life. It is not quite as mind-blowingly intense as Horseman, which may be a relief to those who do not want to spend nights awake reliving the horrors of Leningrad, but there is enough passion and suffering in this book to make it claim a spot in your mind for a long time to come. It is a long novel, over 500 pages, perfect for cold winter evenings. It is what I call a "thumping good read" and I hope, if you decide the book is for you, that you enjoy it as much as I did.