Review by reneelu1998 -- VieVie La Fontaine

[ReneeBrown]

[Following is a volunteer review of "VieVie La Fontaine" by Linda Heavner Gerald.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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VieVie La Fontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald is a compelling, action-packed historical fiction about young Mark, a German Jew, whose parents had the foresight to send him to France before the outbreak of World War II. Mark is vastly naive about the events happening around him in Germany and doesn’t see the danger that awaits his people, including his beloved parents. Mark is a talented artist and has always dreamed of being able to practice his craft in France rather than studying law in Germany. So, for him this is a dream come true. There he stays in the mansion of the gruff, gracious General La Fontaine and his stunning wife VieVie La Fontaine. For Mark, meeting VieVie was close to a spiritual experience. He is speechless, paralyzed, and in awe of her angelic beauty. At first, Mark spends his days frivolously with VieVie, purposely unaware of rising tensions in Germany and the inhumane treatment of the Jews there. But it isn’t long before war breaks out and everyone in Europe is drastically affected by it. The story follows Mark and VieVie and how they contribute to the “Resistance Fighters” during the war.

The plot is filled with non-stop action with a solid backdrop of historical context. I loved the way the author incorporated the historically significant events with her characters. It all felt very realistic. Mark is a strong yet flawed main character who throughout the book is torn between wanting to stick up for his people and seeking safety in the luxuries of Paris. This aspect of Mark’s personality was so compelling because I felt like I would do the same thing if I was in his place. Between being scared witless and bravely pushing the resistance cause, Mark is multi-dimensional yet so, so naive at times.

One aspect that I liked the most was the narrative style it was written in. It was actually written how a German would speak. It was fascinating to read, honestly, because I have never read a book where the author is able to fully grasp the unique voice of her main character. One aspect I liked least about the book was that some vaguely fleshed out characters ended up playing a significant role in the end of the story which lead me to think, “Wait, who are these people again?”

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I think it deserves a perfect score because of the things mentioned above and because I think the book holds an important message and perspective of the WWII era. Also, I absolutely loved the ending. This book is clearly professionally edited as I didn’t notice any grammatical errors.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. I think this book is appropriate for adults because of some of the sexual scenes and because younger teens might not be able to relate to the heavy topics and events happening in the adult characters's lives. There was no swearing and only a small amount of violence.

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VieVie La Fontaine
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