Think of Me, Frances Liardet
Think of Me, Frances Liardet
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
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Think of Me

Author: Frances Liardet

Narrator: Nicholas Guy Smith, Renata Friedman

Unabridged: 13 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 02/22/2022


Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of We Must Be Brave comes a new sweeping historical novel about one couple’s journey through war, love, and loss, and how the people we love never really leave us.

An epic love. A second chance.

During the perils of World War II in Alexandria, Egypt, two people from different worlds will find their way back to each other time and time again, their love a beacon for their survival. After the war, James and Yvette establish roots in England hoping for a new beginning, until a tragic event drives a wedge between them and the path back to each other is one they both must be brave enough to face.
 
Decades later, and ten years after his wife’s death, James moves to the English village of Upton seeking change. When he discovers a scarf that might have been Yvette’s, James begins to unlock revelations about his past that just might return his lost faith to him—faith in God, in humanity, in himself, and perhaps most important of all, his faith in love.

About The Author

Frances Liardet is a child of children of the Second World War. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and studied Arabic at Oxford, before traveling to Cairo to translate modern Egyptian novelists, including Naguib Mahfouz and Edwar al-Kharrat. Liardet currently lives in Somerset, England, with her husband and daughter, and helps to run a summer writing session called Bootcamp. We Must Be Brave was her American debut. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Karren on January 25, 2022

1942: Due to the war, half of Alexandria has fled to the countryside, the Haddad family decide to stay and are looking forward to their eldest daughter’s wedding. Cecla is marrying flying officer Peter Ingram, the night before the big day, the wedding party find themselves huddled in a basement, pra......more

Goodreads review by Renee on March 05, 2022

Top Pick! A reminder that worthwhile stories, beautifully told, have power to enrich and change us. These characters drew me into their world and their hearts and swept me along on an entertaining, uplifting, and moving journey . . . How would I describe or classify this novel? It’s about loss, grie......more

Goodreads review by Becky of Becky's Bookshelves on September 04, 2022

Think of Me by Frances Liardet is an interesting historical romance. Yvette and James met during WWII in Alexandria, Egypt and later moved to England where James was a curate. The story is a dual timeline written in the story's present day of the 1970’s and journeys through Yvette’s diaries starting......more

Goodreads review by Karen on October 21, 2021

I received an advance copy of this beautiful novel and appreciated the experience. Looking at the cover, this seems like yet another World War II love story, and it certainly encompasses the early story of James and Yvette as they fall in love in Alexandria, Egypt, during the war. Yvette narrates he......more


Quotes

Advance Praise for Think of Me

“Now feels like the perfect moment for this book.  A beautifully written story of lives devastated by war and loss, it’s a love letter to life itself, about the power of kindness and patient resilience to make us whole again. Subtle and richly evoked, it's refreshingly authentic to its era, yet timeless in its profound understanding of love, grief and the slow blossoming of solace. It is so good to be reminded that the path from desolation to consolation has always been well-worn, lit by that most vital human instinct - hope.”—M. L. Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans

“An utterly charming, heartbreaking and beautifully captured story of love, friendship and sacrifice. It will stay with you long after you close the pages.” —Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
 
“An epic and intensely moving novel that crosses the boundaries of place and time to weave a powerful story about overcoming the complications of love and grief - the things we try to spare one another, the things we cannot bear to see. It’s a warm book, an intelligent one, richly observed, clear-eyed, and the generosity of its final pages moved me to tears.”—Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Miss Benson’s Beetle

“[A] rich, sweeping tale.” —Woman’s World

"Perfect for fans of Helen Simonson and Julia Kelly, this is beautiful, profoundly emotional, and peppered with sparks of humor.” —Booklist

“Introspective…Liardet’s complex narrative entices with its focus on how the characters are forever altered by the war and the tragic events of everyday life. Liardet’s vivid descriptions of WWII combat and the idyll of the English countryside will draw readers from the very first page.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] quiet quest for honesty and connection [that] offers emotional insight and a memorably humane vision.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The narrative, which explores how differently men and women process grief, unfolds slowly and thoughtfully, written in an easy flowing prose, flipping smoothly back and forth in time. . . An unusual and moving novel which has much to say about whether we truly know anyone.” —Historical Novels Review

Think of Me is a simply gorgeous, sophisticated novel that breaks your heart then mends it again. In this stunning masterpiece, Liardet's poignant prose celebrates the triumph of love over death and of faith over grief." —Stephanie Dray, author of The Women of Chateau Lafayette

“In this ravishing epic, Frances Liardet travels fluidly between continents, between times of war and peace, and between what we think we know about those closest to us and the secrets they keep, to deliver a love story that transcends time and even death. A sumptuous, deeply moving, and ultimately life-affirming tale!”—Patry Francis, author of All the Children Are Home

“Rich with historical detail, and heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure, Think of Me is a luminous, compassionate exploration of grief and the tragic effects of loss and secrecy on a family's closest bonds.”—Rafe Posey, author of The Stars We Share