Review by B Creech -- VieVie La Fontaine
-
Brenda Creech
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 3382
- Joined: 09 Mar 2019, 13:34
- Favorite Book: The Reel Sisters
- Currently Reading: Rainbow’s End
- Bookshelf Size: 357
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-brenda-creech.html
- Latest Review: Was She Crying for Me? by Jerry Hyde
Review by B Creech -- VieVie La Fontaine
[Following is a volunteer review of "VieVie La Fontaine" by Linda Heavner Gerald.]
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
VieVie La Fontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald is a historical fiction set in the post-WWI throughout WWII era. A tale also filled with facts about the rise of Adolph Hitler, and the devastation of WWII. Inside the pages, the reader will find a blend of wealth; luxury; romance; murder; and war.
Mark Lichter is a young Jewish boy who grew up in Berlin. He was attending university to become a lawyer like his father and grandfather. However, Mark did not want to be a lawyer. He was an artist and wanted to paint. Out of the blue, his parents told him they were sending him to Paris, France to live with friends to protect him. His father told him to forget about the university and pursue his painting in Paris. Mark was ecstatic but confused. His parents were sending him away for fear of what might lie ahead for the Jewish people with Adolf Hitler. Mark didn't see Hitler as a threat to anyone. Within a few hours of finding out he was to go live in Paris, a driver arrived to escort him. Mark arrived in Paris early the next morning to the mansion of General Louie LaFontaine and his young, beautiful, and promiscuous wife VieVie. The beautiful VieVie immediately enamored Mark. She was flirty and alluring, and she and Mark quickly fell into a fast and carefree lifestyle of drinking and partying. What will become of this young, innocent Jewish boy in a city like Paris, France, amid WWII? What role will VieVie play in Mark's future? Suffice it to say it is very intense and complicated.
The character development by the author is exemplary. VieVie LaFontaine is the woman every man desires. Young, beautiful and carefree she captivates every man she meets. Louie LaFontaine, a decorated general in the French army, is tolerant of his young wife's behavior; perhaps because he has outside interests of his own. Mark Lichter, a young, impressionable Jewish boy from Germany, is experiencing his first taste of freedom and wealth with no one to put restraints on his behavior. Each character fits the role Gerald developed for them, although I found Mark's emotional reactions to bad news a little over the top. For example, when General Fontaine told Mark he couldn't return to Germany, he screamed and fell onto the floor, crying. The storyline was intriguing, and the author did her research on WWII well. Although the book is historical fiction, Gerald incorporated actual details about WWII in the narrative to give the reader a sense of the devastation of the war, and the terror of Adolph Hitler.
What I liked most about this book was the factual details of WWII. The historical parts were not over-done. Gerald accomplished the blending of fact and fiction beautifully. There was just enough accurate history to enhance the fictional elements, making the storyline more realistic. What I disliked most, as mentioned above, were the overly emotional responses of Mark Lichter's character. Although an immature young man may over-react, I found the screaming and falling on the floor reminiscent of a two-year-old temper tantrum. There are verbal descriptions of sexual acts, and nudity which were too graphic for my taste, and may offend some readers.
The book is well-edited. I noted only two small errors: a question mark at the end of a sentence where there should be a period, and one misspelled word. There was only one curse word in the book, for which I am thankful. The storyline is engaging and flows smoothly. There are some surprises in the last few chapters, but the ending does not disappoint. For these reasons I give VieVie LaFontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers, as well as to those who enjoy history related to the WWI and WWII era and the holocaust. I would caution parents of teenagers to read the book before allowing their teens to read it due to the descriptive sexual acts and nudity.
******
VieVie La Fontaine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
VieVie La Fontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald is a historical fiction set in the post-WWI throughout WWII era. A tale also filled with facts about the rise of Adolph Hitler, and the devastation of WWII. Inside the pages, the reader will find a blend of wealth; luxury; romance; murder; and war.
Mark Lichter is a young Jewish boy who grew up in Berlin. He was attending university to become a lawyer like his father and grandfather. However, Mark did not want to be a lawyer. He was an artist and wanted to paint. Out of the blue, his parents told him they were sending him to Paris, France to live with friends to protect him. His father told him to forget about the university and pursue his painting in Paris. Mark was ecstatic but confused. His parents were sending him away for fear of what might lie ahead for the Jewish people with Adolf Hitler. Mark didn't see Hitler as a threat to anyone. Within a few hours of finding out he was to go live in Paris, a driver arrived to escort him. Mark arrived in Paris early the next morning to the mansion of General Louie LaFontaine and his young, beautiful, and promiscuous wife VieVie. The beautiful VieVie immediately enamored Mark. She was flirty and alluring, and she and Mark quickly fell into a fast and carefree lifestyle of drinking and partying. What will become of this young, innocent Jewish boy in a city like Paris, France, amid WWII? What role will VieVie play in Mark's future? Suffice it to say it is very intense and complicated.
The character development by the author is exemplary. VieVie LaFontaine is the woman every man desires. Young, beautiful and carefree she captivates every man she meets. Louie LaFontaine, a decorated general in the French army, is tolerant of his young wife's behavior; perhaps because he has outside interests of his own. Mark Lichter, a young, impressionable Jewish boy from Germany, is experiencing his first taste of freedom and wealth with no one to put restraints on his behavior. Each character fits the role Gerald developed for them, although I found Mark's emotional reactions to bad news a little over the top. For example, when General Fontaine told Mark he couldn't return to Germany, he screamed and fell onto the floor, crying. The storyline was intriguing, and the author did her research on WWII well. Although the book is historical fiction, Gerald incorporated actual details about WWII in the narrative to give the reader a sense of the devastation of the war, and the terror of Adolph Hitler.
What I liked most about this book was the factual details of WWII. The historical parts were not over-done. Gerald accomplished the blending of fact and fiction beautifully. There was just enough accurate history to enhance the fictional elements, making the storyline more realistic. What I disliked most, as mentioned above, were the overly emotional responses of Mark Lichter's character. Although an immature young man may over-react, I found the screaming and falling on the floor reminiscent of a two-year-old temper tantrum. There are verbal descriptions of sexual acts, and nudity which were too graphic for my taste, and may offend some readers.
The book is well-edited. I noted only two small errors: a question mark at the end of a sentence where there should be a period, and one misspelled word. There was only one curse word in the book, for which I am thankful. The storyline is engaging and flows smoothly. There are some surprises in the last few chapters, but the ending does not disappoint. For these reasons I give VieVie LaFontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers, as well as to those who enjoy history related to the WWI and WWII era and the holocaust. I would caution parents of teenagers to read the book before allowing their teens to read it due to the descriptive sexual acts and nudity.
******
VieVie La Fontaine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
B. Creech
"Like beauty in the eyes, the divinity of the rose may be in the nose that smells it, and the lover that beholds it." Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
"Like beauty in the eyes, the divinity of the rose may be in the nose that smells it, and the lover that beholds it." Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
Latest Review: Was She Crying for Me? by Jerry Hyde
