The Lost Carousel of Provence

“Who amongst us hasn’t thought of carousels with nostalgia?”
That is Juliet Blackwell’s opening remark in the Author’s Note.

I am not sure a carousel has even crossed my mind in a decade (when my daughters were young enough to beg me for tickets), but the title of this novel immediately took me back. I could hear the tinny music, see the lights in the garishly painted ceiling shining on the painted stallions’ furious expressions, recall the wait between rotations before my girls would wave at me again…

I loved this novel. (And isn’t that a gorgeous cover??) At first I was annoyed once again (this seems to be a common thread for me) by the multiple alternating characters in different years, but before long I was fully immersed in the different storylines, and the way Ms Blackwell drew them out was reminiscent of the skills and precision used by the carousel artists of bygone times. I learned a great deal (which is one of the very best things about expertly told historical fiction), I fell in love with many more than one of her characters, and I was reminded of an old dream I had of going to Provence …

Highly recommend. I am now off to get more of Ms Blackwell’s books!