Paris Noire Week One

[dhaupt]

First of all I want to welcome you all to the February feature

Paris Noire  

It's a unique look at a war that nearly destroyed Europe and I also want to thank Francine for joining us, she will check in every so often to answer questions, chat with you and me and make comments too.

I am also going to open a thread for Little Bird Publicity 

So here are the questions for week one, let's have fun in Gay Paris!!

Paris Noire
Week One Questions

1. In week one we’ve met the major players in the novel
Does any one stand out for you yet, who and why

2. Madame Glovia Johnson played a vital role during the occupation by being a spy for France.
Knowing how the Nazis felt about people of “color”, did the fact of how she got information to the French surprise you.

3. There is more conflicts than just the war going on, we know how Black ex-pats from the US were treated in Europe we all know the story of Josephine Baker and how many migrated to Europe because of better treatment then they received here at home.

Does it then surprise you how the French felt about their own citizens of color.

4. Against her mother’s wishes Collette is seeing a white banker and in the background for only readers to know Christophe is romancing the mysterious Genevieve.
In your opinion did their mother’s meddling push them into arms they know their mother wouldn’t approve of, or is that just the way it is.
And as a side note do you agree with the advice Glovia gives her about her children’s lives and loves.

5. Lieutenant Michael Collins has his eye on Marie Thésése and this in more apparent after her attempt to make him a Thanksgiving meal.
How do you as readers feel about this romance, is it fated for doom or do you see hope for this couple.

6. We find during our read for the week that Lieutenant Collins was involved in the Red Ball Express, the triumphant march through Paris and the Battle of the Bulge.
Did the author do a good job of bringing the battles to us. Why or why not

7. The author also dedicated several chapters to the courageous and fierce men of the French Freedom Fighters and we will delve into the whys of this later on in the conversation, and also what Glovia did on the homfront tell us if you were aware of these brave men and women before now.

[whiteginger]

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dhaupt wrote:

Paris Noire
Week One Questions

1. In week one we’ve met the major players in the novel
Does any one stand out for you yet, who and why

• WG:  Both Lieutenant Collins and Alain-H are standouts for me.  Both are talented, courageous men who are sure of themselves.  Both have that sense of romance, in the romantic love interest sense and in the literary sense of being mysterious, exotic in some way.  And both help heighten the sense of conflict and suspense in the novel:  Collins--Will he return safely?  Will he ultimately choose Glovia over Marie-T?  Is there more to his background than he is telling us?  Alain--Will he return safely?  Will he cause trouble for Christophe?

2. Madame Glovia Johnson played a vital role during the occupation by being a spy for France.
Knowing how the Nazis felt about people of “color”, did the fact of how she got information to the French surprise you.

• WG:  Glovia's relationships with Natzis to gain information did not surprise me.  (I liked the subtle way that was introduced--with Marie-T saying that if there was no Natzi at Glovia's, Marie-T would know that the Germans were, indeed, leaving Paris.)  Marie-T says several times later that Glovia has done a great service for France; Marie-T respects and praises Glovia for her actions.  The surprise for me was the reaction of Collette to Glovia's "service."  Collette seems to find the relationships vulgar.  But perhaps, even though she, too, has lived through the four years of occupation, she still has that youthful sense of idealism and immortatality--like when she stands before the open window when shots are ringing out in the first chapter.

3. There is more conflicts than just the war going on, we know how Black ex-pats from the US were treated in Europe we all know the story of Josephine Baker and how many migrated to Europe because of better treatment then they received here at home.

Does it then surprise you how the French felt about their own citizens of color.

• WG:  At this point from the novel, itself, I don't remember too many details about this.  I remember Marie-T saying something about that in Paris people of color from Africa are treated differently than people of color of other nationalities, but that's about it. 

4. Against her mother’s wishes Collette is seeing a white banker and in the background for only readers to know Christophe is romancing the mysterious Genevieve.
In your opinion did their mother’s meddling push them into arms they know their mother wouldn’t approve of, or is that just the way it is.
And as a side note do you agree with the advice Glovia gives her about her children’s lives and loves.

• WG:  Since I do not see either child as intentionally trying to hurt Marie-T, I don't really think Marie-T "pushed" either into a relationship.  Even the verbal exchanges between Marie-T and Collette, the "watch your mouth" stuff, don't seem overly harsh or angry to me.  Glovia's advice "sounds" great.  If I had children of my own and she game me that advice, I am sure it would not sound quite as great and would be even harder to follow.

5. Lieutenant Michael Collins has his eye on Marie Thésése and this in more apparent after her attempt to make him a Thanksgiving meal.
How do you as readers feel about this romance, is it fated for doom or do you see hope for this couple.

• WG:  Deb!  Shame on you for even mentioning that it might be fated, doomed! 

6. We find during our read for the week that Lieutenant Collins was involved in the Red Ball Express, the triumphant march through Paris and the Battle of the Bulge.
Did the author do a good job of bringing the battles to us. Why or why not

• WG:  Reading this novel, I don't yet really know much about any major battles. I, however, like that detailing the smaller "battles" through the actions of the trio of spies brings the war down to a more personal level.  That way I can focus on the characters and not on a rehashing of history. I like the historical time line sense of mentioning specific battles.

7. The author also dedicated several chapters to the courageous and fierce men of the French Freedom Fighters and we will delve into the whys of this later on in the conversation, and also what Glovia did on the homfront tell us if you were aware of these brave men and women before now.

• WG:  No.

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[dhaupt]

 whiteginger wrote:

3. There is more conflicts than just the war going on, we know how Black ex-pats from the US were treated in Europe we all know the story of Josephine Baker and how many migrated to Europe because of better treatment then they received here at home.

Does it then surprise you how the French felt about their own citizens of color.

• WG:  At this point from the novel, itself, I don't remember too many details about this.  I remember Marie-T saying something about that in Paris people of color from Africa are treated differently than people of color of other nationalities, but that's about it.

whiteginger, In my opinion it was more implied than anything, from the party goers at Glovia's to the way MT tell how it was made easy to migrate to France proper by marrying a Frenchman, also Christophe mentions in the pb version on page 20"He could have been one of the Africa Corps, if pride hadn't pushed him away." Maybe I saw more into this statement then necessary but I took it to mean that he wasn't allowed in the "regular" army.

WG:  Deb!  Shame on you for even mentioning that it might be fated, doomed! 

Sorry

[elaine_hf]

Just finished the first 14 chapters! Thought I better respond while it's all still fresh.

1. Who stands out for me? Good question. Frankly, I didn't care for any of them when I started the book - Marie Therese was too much of a 'hoverer', Collette and Christophe didn't have any respect for their mother, Glovia just seemed too much out for Glovia - although I am liking her more now. I suppose I would have to say that my initial favorite was Genvieve. More of an innocent, in a way, just falling for Christophe and trying to maintain a job. I also have grown to like 'Monsieur Lieutenant', and feel like he will play an important role ahead. Took an interest in Marie Therese and didn't just let it drop, seemed to understand that it was important to her, and that she was becoming important to him.

2. Glovia's means of receiving information did not surprise me. I feel like the Nazis had to show a certain 'face' while occupying Paris, but would let that face drop in private. Just because, as a group, they did not care for people of color doesn't really mean that they wouldn't, as individuals, be attracted to them.

3. I don't really have a good feel yet for how the people of France feel about their own 'citizens of color'.

4. I think the answer is, 'It's just the way it is'. Marie Therese's meddling didn't help her cause, certainly, but I don't think anything she could have done would have changed her kids' feelings. And yes, I completely agree with Glovia. Glovia, by the way, seems oblivious of the feelings between Marie Therese and Monsieur Lieutenant, which surprised me as she did walk into her bedroom while they were visiting during her party. I thought Glovia would have realized that there was something there - or perhaps she blinded herself to it, as she herself was attracted to the Lieutenant.

5. I see hope for this couple, but of course only if he returns alive. The fact that he is willing to discuss his own situation with her, and not focus solely on their being together in the short term, tells me that he wants more of the relationship.

6. Honestly, I don't have a good feel for the war that is going on in the book. The focus is so strongly on the characters that the war seems a bit hazy and distant.

7. I was aware of the freedom fighters, but I think her chapters on them make them more real, their dangers more poignant. It is one thing to know of their existence, but quite another to see what they actually did to help their cause.

[Francinethomas…]

Hello Whiteginger and Elaine,

      I'm a writer.  I'll hear a snatch of a story and I wonder about "the more".  So many of these remembrances are at the core of Paris Noire.  The disparity between the treatment of French persons of color and African-Americans leapt out in my mind.  The story came to me from a French-born friend of mine.  His father formed the prototype for Christophe.  Here's his story.

     In 1940, with the Germans poised on the border of France, threatening occupation, the French government called for every able-bodied Frenchman to enlist in the Army and save the homeland.  My friend's father, a bi-racial man born in the Caribbean but raised in Paris, did just that.  Standing in the army recruiting office with hundreds of other Frenchmen, he watched the recruiter okay the lame, the halt, and the almost-blind for service in the French Army--anything and anyone to save la belle France.  Then the recruiter faced my friend's father.

       The soldier looked the brown-skinned man up and down, jerked a thumb toward the front door, sniffed and said, 'You.  Go down the street to the Afrika Corps."   The father ignored that almost certain- death request.

        In the years that followed when my friend's father retold the tale to family and neighbors, he always ended the story with, "That was the only time being a noir in France helped me."  This was the line that spurred me to explore the treatment of French gens de colour. 

        Oh yes, France fell to the Germans in forty days and most of the recruits were killed or captured by the Nazis.

        Thanks Elaine and Whiteginger for reminding me of why I wanted to add that part to the book. 

[dhaupt]

Thanks Francine for those comments, even though in the novel the insinuation was sublte I still felt the inequality there too.

Welcome to the conversation.

[elaine_hf]

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dhaupt wrote:

Thanks Francine for those comments, even though in the novel the insinuation was sublte I still felt the inequality there too.

Welcome to the conversation.

---

I guess I'm going to have to scan through those first chapters again, or just be a little more focused on that issue in the coming section. I try not to read too much of the inequality issue into a story, because I find that I make an assumption that people are going to be treated unequally due to their skin quality, and I want to judge the story on its own. So I don't let myself read that into a story, and I guess that means I miss it sometimes. Does that make any sense? I started this novel thinking that people of color would be treated more equitably in France than how I knew they were being treated in the US, and maybe I just missed it.

[whiteginger]

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dhaupt wrote:

Thanks Francine for those comments, even though in the novel the insinuation was sublte I still felt the inequality there too.

---

I guess I'm going to have to scan through those first chapters again, or just be a little more focused on that issue in the coming section. I try not to read too much of the inequality issue into a story, because I find that I make an assumption that people are going to be treated unequally due to their skin quality, and I want to judge the story on its own. So I don't let myself read that into a story, and I guess that means I miss it sometimes. Does that make any sense? I started this novel thinking that people of color would be treated more equitably in France than how I knew they were being treated in the US, and maybe I just missed it.

---

---

Yes, Francine, thanks for the background; but, Elaine, I absolutely agree with you about not trying to read too much in to a story, judging the story on its own.  Unlike Elaine, I will not go back and scan the first chapters UNLESS I see a need to do that because of something in the next chapters.  Right now the story seems to have major conflicts that are character focused and could happen to characters of any race--mother  vs. children conflicts over childrens' growing independence, mother vs. self conflict about falling in love again, etc.  Wartime Paris is the backdrop for these conflicts and I am aware that the major characters are persons of color, but color has NOT yet been a major conflict.  If I ultimately like or dislike the characters, I will like them because of their particular human traits, not because they are of any particular color or creed.

[aprilh]

Two people really stood out for me in these first chapters: Marie-Therese and Alain Hugo. Marie-Therese was fascinating to me. She seemed to almost have two sides to herself. On the one hand she was worrisome and protective over her children, not wanting them to make the same mistake she felt she made by marrying her ex-husband. On the other hand she was more relaxed in her friendship with Glovia, attending her parties and meeting Lieutenant Collins. I felt like she was almost a different person around him, maybe because for the first time in a long time, she was finally happy. Alain-Hugo's acts of bravery were like nothing I had ever read before. He was very courageous and would do anything for his country. I felt a deep respect for him. When he removed the sole from his shoe and retrieved the picture of Genvieve, I was shocked, wondering what this meant for Christophe and couldn't wait to read more of his story.

I was not really surprised with the way Glovia received information from the Nazis. She was described as a beautiful woman who commanded everyone's attention. I got the impression she was hard for any man to resist.

I don't think Marie-Therese's meddling pushed either of her children into relationships she wouldn't approve of. I do believe Christophe and Collette found her meddling annoying, but I really believe they were just following their hearts, not trying to hurt their mother. As for the advice Glovia gives Marie-Therese, I can see both sides. From a mother's perspective,I can understand how difficult it must be to stand aside and watch your children possibly get hurt in their relationships. From an objective standpoint however, I agree with Glovia. When Glovia asked Marie-Therese why she didn't want Collette involved with Jean-Michel, a white banker, her only reasoning was that he wasn't part black. Marie-Therese needs to take a step back and let her children make their own decisions whether she feels they are right or wrong.

I have my hopes up that Lieutenant Michael Collins returns home safely and is reunited with Marie-Therese. I think he's good for her and makes her happy. When Lieutenant Collins told Marie-Therese of his wife's passing, she opened up to him and told him what happened in her first marriage. I got the feeling she hadn't shared that story with a lot of people. My only worry is that if he comes back, Glovia might want him for herself. On page 128 (paperback version) Glovia tells Marie-Therese, "You know, I hadn't all the way given up on that man for myself. Not yet." Marie-Therese stumbles and says they're  just friends, he's someone to write to and when he returns surely he'll want to see Glovia, not her. My hope is that if Glovia tries to make a play for Lieutenant Collins that Marie-Therese stands up to her.

I think the author did a good job describing the march into Paris and Alain-Hugo's missions to the reader. The rest of the battles were more condensed, giving the reader just enough information to keep them up to speed, but leaving the spotlight on the characters where it belonged.

I had not heard of the French Freedom Fighters before reading this book, but now I am being led to read more about them.

[dhaupt]

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whiteginger wrote:

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dhaupt wrote:

Thanks Francine for those comments, even though in the novel the insinuation was sublte I still felt the inequality there too.

---

I guess I'm going to have to scan through those first chapters again, or just be a little more focused on that issue in the coming section. I try not to read too much of the inequality issue into a story, because I find that I make an assumption that people are going to be treated unequally due to their skin quality, and I want to judge the story on its own. So I don't let myself read that into a story, and I guess that means I miss it sometimes. Does that make any sense? I started this novel thinking that people of color would be treated more equitably in France than how I knew they were being treated in the US, and maybe I just missed it.

---

---

Yes, Francine, thanks for the background; but, Elaine, I absolutely agree with you about not trying to read too much in to a story, judging the story on its own.  Unlike Elaine, I will not go back and scan the first chapters UNLESS I see a need to do that because of something in the next chapters.  Right now the story seems to have major conflicts that are character focused and could happen to characters of any race--mother  vs. children conflicts over childrens' growing independence, mother vs. self conflict about falling in love again, etc.  Wartime Paris is the backdrop for these conflicts and I am aware that the major characters are persons of color, but color has NOT yet been a major conflict.  If I ultimately like or dislike the characters, I will like them because of their particular human traits, not because they are of any particular color or creed.

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Good morning ladies, Elaine I am exactly the same way about reading and I think what made me look further was after I finshed the read, I think it made me want to know more and I too believed that people of color were treated better "over there" and they were if you refer to the American's living there but not there own citizens.

So what I'm really saying Elaine is that please don't feel like you have to re-read the section, I think it may become more clear as we read on. I really try to not reveal things in a read that I already know about and perhaps this time I was not as successful at it as I should have been.

whiteginger, great explanation

[dhaupt]

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aprilh wrote:

Two people really stood out for me in these first chapters: Marie-Therese and Alain Hugo. Marie-Therese was fascinating to me. She seemed to almost have two sides to herself. On the one hand she was worrisome and protective over her children, not wanting them to make the same mistake she felt she made by marrying her ex-husband. On the other hand she was more relaxed in her friendship with Glovia, attending her parties and meeting Lieutenant Collins. I felt like she was almost a different person around him, maybe because for the first time in a long time, she was finally happy. Alain-Hugo's acts of bravery were like nothing I had ever read before. He was very courageous and would do anything for his country. I felt a deep respect for him. When he removed the sole from his shoe and retrieved the picture of Genvieve, I was shocked, wondering what this meant for Christophe and couldn't wait to read more of his story.

I was not really surprised with the way Glovia received information from the Nazis. She was described as a beautiful woman who commanded everyone's attention. I got the impression she was hard for any man to resist.

I don't think Marie-Therese's meddling pushed either of her children into relationships she wouldn't approve of. I do believe Christophe and Collette found her meddling annoying, but I really believe they were just following their hearts, not trying to hurt their mother. As for the advice Glovia gives Marie-Therese, I can see both sides. From a mother's perspective,I can understand how difficult it must be to stand aside and watch your children possibly get hurt in their relationships. From an objective standpoint however, I agree with Glovia. When Glovia asked Marie-Therese why she didn't want Collette involved with Jean-Michel, a white banker, her only reasoning was that he wasn't part black. Marie-Therese needs to take a step back and let her children make their own decisions whether she feels they are right or wrong.

I have my hopes up that Lieutenant Michael Collins returns home safely and is reunited with Marie-Therese. I think he's good for her and makes her happy. When Lieutenant Collins told Marie-Therese of his wife's passing, she opened up to him and told him what happened in her first marriage. I got the feeling she hadn't shared that story with a lot of people. My only worry is that if he comes back, Glovia might want him for herself. On page 128 (paperback version) Glovia tells Marie-Therese, "You know, I hadn't all the way given up on that man for myself. Not yet." Marie-Therese stumbles and says they're  just friends, he's someone to write to and when he returns surely he'll want to see Glovia, not her. My hope is that if Glovia tries to make a play for Lieutenant Collins that Marie-Therese stands up to her.

I think the author did a good job describing the march into Paris and Alain-Hugo's missions to the reader. The rest of the battles were more condensed, giving the reader just enough information to keep them up to speed, but leaving the spotlight on the characters where it belonged.

I had not heard of the French Freedom Fighters before reading this book, but now I am being led to read more about them.

---

aprilh, thanks for your comments something really stood out for me - 

I think the author did a good job describing the march into Paris and Alain-Hugo's missions to the reader. The rest of the battles were more condensed, giving the reader just enough information to keep them up to speed, but leaving the spotlight on the characters where it belonged.

beautifully put

[Francinethomas…]

Ahh, you laidies are a writer's dream.  In my novels the characters insist upon telling their own stories.  I may try to dash in a little bit of background but those characters always wrestle the lead from me. 

[dhaupt]

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Francinethomashoward wrote:

Ahh, you laidies are a writer's dream.  In my novels the characters insist upon telling their own stories.  I may try to dash in a little bit of background but those characters always wrestle the lead from me. 

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Hi Francine,thanks for keeping up with us on the forum this week, I hope you are enjoying the conversation as much as we are.

[whiteginger]

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dhaupt wrote:

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Francinethomashoward wrote:

Ahh, you laidies are a writer's dream.  In my novels the characters insist upon telling their own stories.  I may try to dash in a little bit of background but those characters always wrestle the lead from me. 

---

Hi Francine,thanks for keeping up with us on the forum this week, I hope you are enjoying the conversation as much as we are.

---

Francine, I  hope you were thinking of a pleasant dream and not a nightmare LOL!

OK.  I'm getting ready to read the next chapters.  I've just reread our discussion and decided I'm already reverting to childhood--I've acted just like my English students who sometimes balked at studying all the "pre-reading" background I often presented for a particular novel.  (And, let me hasten to add, I am far too young to be reverting to childhood at this point.  In my own defense, Deb, I did read your interview with Francine and several reviews of the novel before I began the novel.) 

Anyway, since Alain-H is one of my favorite characters thus far, I Googled "French Freedom Fighters," hoping to find out more about these covert units that worked in trios, but I couldn't find much.  What I did find was confusing --many different branches or groups of Freedom Fighters with different motivations. 

Anybody have a link to good information on the French Freedom Fighters? As you can probably tell from the fact that I am just now beginning the next section of reading, I'm looking for the "quick and dirty" version of information. 

[dhaupt]

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whiteginger wrote:

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dhaupt wrote:

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Francinethomashoward wrote:

Ahh, you laidies are a writer's dream.  In my novels the characters insist upon telling their own stories.  I may try to dash in a little bit of background but those characters always wrestle the lead from me. 

---

Hi Francine,thanks for keeping up with us on the forum this week, I hope you are enjoying the conversation as much as we are.

---

Francine, I  hope you were thinking of a pleasant dream and not a nightmare LOL!

OK.  I'm getting ready to read the next chapters.  I've just reread our discussion and decided I'm already reverting to childhood--I've acted just like my English students who sometimes balked at studying all the "pre-reading" background I often presented for a particular novel.  (And, let me hasten to add, I am far too young to be reverting to childhood at this point.  In my own defense, Deb, I did read your interview with Francine and several reviews of the novel before I began the novel.) 

Anyway, since Alain-H is one of my favorite characters thus far, I Googled "French Freedom Fighters," hoping to find out more about these covert units that worked in trios, but I couldn't find much.  What I did find was confusing --many different branches or groups of Freedom Fighters with different motivations. 

Anybody have a link to good information on the French Freedom Fighters? As you can probably tell from the fact that I am just now beginning the next section of reading, I'm looking for the "quick and dirty" version of information. 

---

whiteginger here are a few links I found

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090611065914AAD7qwb

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1779.html

I'll see what else I can find when I get back to my high speed access on Monday

[Francinethomas…]

Hi Whiteginger,

    Oh yes, this conversation is most definitely a  writer's pleasant dream.   Sometimes, on the brink of sleep, my characters delight in bedeviling me.  Alain-Hugo developed out of a fragment of the story my French friend told me about his father's experiences in WWII.  But I knew very little of the real person, the Alain-Hugo prototype--only that he was "the husband."  That's when Alain-Hugo as a Freedom Fighter wrestled his way into my consciousness.

      Maybe I've seen too many  WWII movies.  It's a time period that fascinates me--especially the secret work of the Resistance itself.  In part of my research, I learned that the Freedom Fighters most often did not know the real names of their compatriots and called each other only by their code names.  They also only worked in small cadres and never carried weapons on them.  All of this to ensure security for the organization, themselves, and success for the resistance. 

     In reality, quite a few Frenchmen and women worked for the resistance, and oft-times, not even their close friends knew--too dangerous.  Josephine Baker was Free French.  Viva la France!!

[ReadingPatti]

Paris Noire
Week One Questions

1. In week one we’ve met the major players in the novel
Does any one stand out for you yet, who and why-Marie Therese, she is a strong woman who loves her children and does what she must to make a good life them all.

2. Madame Glovia Johnson played a vital role during the occupation by being a spy for France.
Knowing how the Nazis felt about people of “color”, did the fact of how she got information to the French surprise you.-No, she seems like a woman who can get what she wants when she wants it. She know how to play the game.

3. There is more conflicts than just the war going on, we know how Black ex-pats from the US were treated in Europe we all know the story of Josephine Baker and how many migrated to Europe because of better treatment then they received here at home.

Does it then surprise you how the French felt about their own citizens of color. No quite sure yet. I need to look into to this more.

4. Against her mother’s wishes Collette is seeing a white banker and in the background for only readers to know Christophe is romancing the mysterious Genevieve.
In your opinion did their mother’s meddling push them into arms they know their mother wouldn’t approve of, or is that just the way it is.-Maybe, but I think she was worried that their would have unhappy lifes and knew what would come as she has some of the same problems.
And as a side note do you agree with the advice Glovia gives her about her children’s lives and loves.- Yes and No, she give advice but Collette and Christophe need to do what they feel is right for them. They are adults and will make mistakes and learn from them. You can't run away from love if you think that person is the right one for you. You may never meet another person just for you.

5. Lieutenant Michael Collins has his eye on Marie Thésése and this in more apparent after her attempt to make him a Thanksgiving meal.
How do you as readers feel about this romance, is it fated for doom or do you see hope for this couple.-I think it is sweet and cute and that Marie Thesese needs to find another man for herself. That this is time for her to have a new love.

6. We find during our read for the week that Lieutenant Collins was involved in the Red Ball Express, the triumphant march through Paris and the Battle of the Bulge.
Did the author do a good job of bringing the battles to us. Why or why not- No quite sure yet. Must read more.

7. The author also dedicated several chapters to the courageous and fierce men of the French Freedom Fighters and we will delve into the whys of this later on in the conversation, and also what Glovia did on the homfront tell us if you were aware of these brave men and women before now.- I have heard of them. Not quite sure what else they did. I am sure that they did almost anything to stop the Germans.

I am really liking this books and the take on the war and the person who came from America because they found freedom they did not find here. Which is sad. I want to know more about these characters. Great pick.

[dhaupt]

Thanks Patti for you comments, I'm glad you are liking the novel

I really agree with what you said here

5. Lieutenant Michael Collins has his eye on Marie Thésése and this in more apparent after her attempt to make him a Thanksgiving meal.
How do you as readers feel about this romance, is it fated for doom or do you see hope for this couple.-I think it is sweet and cute and that Marie Thesese needs to find another man for herself. That this is time for her to have a new love.

[ReadingPatti]

Deb, Thanks, I like that MarieThesese. She derserves a good man. I think that Michael is that man. He could get Gloria but he sees something in Marie Thesese that he likes and wants.

It is her time for a romance and a great relationship. I hope that they will get together and live a very happy life.

ReadingPatti