11/30/2021

Christmas At Copper Mountain by Jane Porter

This novel is a fantastic read which I have enjoyed very much. Snow, a great setting, lots of emotions and romance on top of it. If you are looking for a Christmas novel that will move your heart and leave an impact on you, this is a perfect choice.

Christmas At Copper Mountain

by Jane Porter
Taming Of The Sheenans #1
Publisher The Tule Publishing Group on November 29, 2013
Genre Novel
Pages 158
Format eBook
Source Purchased
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas, and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect. Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart, and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzle between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

Story

Harley wants nothing more than a quiet Christmas without any fancy traditions but most of all without her overprotecting family at home in California. A ranch with a grumpy boss, the kitchen for herself, and some mouth to feed is exactly what she had in mind and needs. But the moment two kids step into the scene, everything changes, and Harley must admit that she´s anything but calmly about the situation.

Style

Jane Porter shows life at a ranch and how a single father educates his two kids. Although this novel has only a bit over 150 pages, the author shows you the full range of emotions a story can possibly have. The writing style is easy to read, shows a sensitive touch, and the emotional rollercoaster Harley´s on every day since tragedy hit her is brought to paper in a wonderful way.

The story contains many fantastic scenes, some hilarious dialogues and it is quite wonderful to watch how things unfold.

Characters

It was interesting to watch the two main figures and their struggle to find each other. Harley is a strong woman who mourns the death of her family. Her work at the Copper ranch seems to be the perfect way to have a nice but quiet Christmas without the overprotecting love of her family in California. But the owner of the ranch, Brock, thinks differently.

Brock isn´t a man who speaks a lot. Not with his housekeeper, his staff, or kids. The real reason behind it is nothing Harley would have ever expected. But on the other hand, Brock knows what he wants. And the moment Harley starts to know why he is always so grumpy and distanced, she also starts to realize that she can only heal if she starts coping with her own grief.

Conclusion

What an incredibly romantic and emotionally novel. I am absolutely thrilled! This was my first read by Jane Porter and I enjoyed it very much. If you are looking for a wonderful to read novel in a winterly setting or want to discover a new author, this could be the right book for you.

Happy reading

Jane Porter

Even though New York Times and USA Today bestseller Jane Porter has over 12 million books in print, she is still a small-town girl at heart, with deep roots in central California’s golden foothills, oak trees, and miles of farmland. When Jane was thirteen her family moved to Europe for a year, and that abroad changed Jane forever, introducing her to different cultures and customs and creating a life-long passion for books, travel, and adventure. Jane later spent much of her high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan, and Ireland. Armed with a Bachelors degree in American Studies from UCLA, Jane immersed herself in sales and marketing, followed by another six years in the teaching trenches of junior high school before becoming a full-time fiction writer with an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco. Jane’s first published novel, The Italian Groom, sold to Harlequin Presents in 2000. She is a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award from Romance Writers of America and won the RITA 2014 for her Tule novella, Take Me, Cowboy. The author lives in Seattle and Hawaii with her three sons.

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11/28/2021

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #188 – First Advent

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #188

I had two new books in the mail. Thank you, Heyne and Blanvalet. Below you can see on the left the English edition, on the right the German edition

Review Copy

    

   

    

Sunday Post #145

I am not sure what to write today. The past seven days have been kind of dreary days. My daily routine is a bit boring. Monday to Thursday were quiet days. Thursday evening, I called my dad to hear how my stepmom was doing and to wish them a good drive. I told them that I hope that they will come back home safe and sound. I know that my side of the family is taking the rapid test very seriously, but I have no clue how the other side of the family is handling the situation.

So, Thursday to Friday night and Friday night to Saturday I didn´t sleep well or not at all. My doctor was a bit concerned when he saw me Friday morning during the check-up appointment. I looked like a woman who hadn´t slept all night. On Friday I also got some book mail. What a joy!

 

It was also the two days where I read and finished two HoHoHo Readathon reads. One read is already reviewed and linked up. This means, only two days left and three more to go. 

Saturday, I got the last items for the first Advents weekend together and hope that I will have my advents wreath together by next weekend. In the evening I started to watch the Oprah interview with Adele in the ARD app. And because of the almost unreadable tiny white subtitles (how idiotic is that?!) I can enjoy the interview, setting, and concert without getting irritated by the subtitle *Woohoo”.

Today, Sunday, I slept long, got up very late, and did nothing but finish this post and put it online. Our weather forecast said we would get snow all day, but so far it is only raining and chilly outside.

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy.



Happy reading

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11/27/2021

Winterzauber In Der Kleinen Keksbäckerei by Holly Hepburn

Snowy Nights at Castle Court is a nice to read novel and the first Holly Hepburn book I´ve read. It was no thrilling read but with only a bit over 140 pages, it had the perfect size for a challenge. But to be honest, I was a bit confused while reading the end. Was that supposed to be a cliffhanger? Because the end was quite abrupt and left me with a big question mark.

Winterzauber In Der Kleinen Keksbäckerei*

by Holly Hepburn
Castle Court Series #1
Original Title Snowy Nights At Castle Court
Publisher Penguin on October 1, 2019
Genre Christmas Novel
Pages 144
Format eBook
Source Purchased
Goodreads
✶✶✶

In the first part of Holly Hepburn's enchanting new novel, a long-cherished dream comes true for best friends Cat and Sadie: their little biscuit bakery is about to open! But before the first deliciously fragrant cookies can wander over the counter, the former star chef and the single mom with the broken heart have to overcome a few obstacles. Fortunately, they can always count on their neighbors: Jaren, the handsome owner of the pancake restaurant, and Seb, the charming bartender ...

Story

Sadie and Cat are about to open their first cookie shop. For Sadie a nerve-wracking thing while Cat is as calm as one can be. Baking cookies is way better than the stress she had while working at a restaurant in Paris. But not everybody at Castle Court is happy about the new shop owners. And while some shop neighbors try to make things worse for Cat and Sadie, the two women are busy preparing their new business for the Christmas season.

Style

Holly Hepburn´s writing style is soft, nice to read, and a bit superficial. Don´t expect profoundness here. Because there is none. This book is mainly about food, like pancakes and cookies, and topped with a bit of romance in the air. Two friends, Sadie, and Cat do what they can to give their business a successful start. And the author combines that with a few wonderful-to-read scenes. Not enough for a great Christmas novel, but enough for this short novel.

Characters

The author created her figures with very different styles and many emotions. Hate, joy, envy, and lots of cookies are the main things in here.

Sadie is trying to get her life back together after her marriage fell apart. Her daughter Lissy means the world to her, and it takes her a while to realize that her marriage wasn´t good for her. That she changed into something she can´t stand.

Conclusion

A nice to read Christmas novel with no surprises and a confusing end. I might not become a Holly Hepburn fan, but I don´t have to. This novel had snow, some wonderful scenes although I rate it in the end as average. Sorry, but it wasn´t what I had expected it to be.

Happy reading

*This book was published by Simon & Schuster UK on November 13, 2017. 

Holly Hepburn

Holly Hepburn has wanted to write books for as long as she can remember but she was too scared to try. One day she decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic comedy with her first novella, Cupidity, and she's never looked back. She often tries to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. Her favorite thing is making people smile. She's tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and she even had a brief flirtation with modeling. These days she is mostly found writing. She lives near London with her grey tabby cat, Portia. They both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.

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11/24/2021

Waiting On Wednesday #171 – American Crown by Katharine McGee

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

This book went through quite some transformation before I got the final confirmation today, that it will be published in Germany. To show you what I mean scroll down a bit and you´ll see.

I am eager to read this novel because I heard so many good things from other bloggers who already had the chance to read a little sneak peek. And now, with the new publishing date, I can´t wait to hold it in my hands. And with the final cover ( at least I HOPE it will be the final one) it looks gorgeous and beautiful.

American Crown

Author Katharine McGee
American Royals #1
Original Title Royal Secrets
Publishing Date January 26, 2022
Publisher Fischer Sauerländer
Format Paperback
Goodreads

From today on you are two people at once: the girl Beatrice and Beatrice, the heir to the crown. And if they are at odds and want different things, then the crown has to win. Always. Princess Beatrice is heir to the throne of the United States and is used to being in the limelight. But when she is asked who she wants to marry, she feels as if she is split in two: there is her public self, which appears at events and which perfectly fulfills all the duties of the Crown Princess. Including the appropriate marriage. And then there are the stolen moments with their true, secret love.

Through the pandemic, this book changed its German cover from this

to this

to this plus a new title. 

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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11/21/2021

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #187 – Life And Death

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #187

I had a new book in the mail.

Review Copy

Sunday Post #144

The past week was a bit hard. Monday and Tuesday I went through the usual routine with breakfast, writing reviews, editing new posts, and doing some research. I took care of my household and went to the supermarket to get fresh fruits and veggies.

On Wednesday I had a fruitless discussion with one of my neighbors about getting vaccinated. Yes, that topic is a very hot one now. I got rid of all the incomprehension I feel when having such talks while going on my daily power walk. A great opportunity to blow off some steam. Around lunchtime, I called my stepmom and heard the sad news that her elder sister had died Sunday night. It was so heartbreaking to hear her voice cracking while she spoke with me. A few hours after that sad news, I heard that one of my former neighbors, a great woman from Turkey, had also died. That made the already grey Wednesday a very sad day.

Thursday, we hit an all-time high with the Corona news infections. 65.371 new infections were registered. It is insane!

Friday and Saturday I was busy getting the food and drink I wanted for the weekend together. It is another insane thing that our local supermarket isn´t getting all the articles the staff orders. And the answer is always the same. They can´t tell you if the shortage has anything to do with the fact that Christmas is around the corner, and they don´t know how many people pre-order ground meat for Christmas or if it is just because the meat company hasn´t enough staff or else.

On Saturday I also took care of the last leaves in the garden and helped my neighbor to do the big cleaning around the house and inside. Fall was very short and very wet and dirty this year and with all the Chestnut trees around the house, it can be a bit overwhelming.

Today, Sunday, I took some Hokkaido pumpkin pictures and wrote this post. And while doing so I noticed that the wireless mouse I use while typing on my laptop isn´t responding well. Guess, she needs new batteries *sigh*

Greg, these pictures from a Hokkaido pumpkin are for you. As promised *smile*

            

              

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy.



Happy reading

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11/19/2021

Jeder Schritt Zu Dir by Marie Force

Let It Be is THE novel for all who love the Green Mountain/ Butler Vermont Series. This novel shows everything. From tears to happiness, passion, loyalty, and what it means to love your children honestly and sincerely. I had tears in my eyes while reading some scenes and was laughing out loud while reading others. The interaction of Linc with his children or his father-in-law is fantastic. And so, yes, I highly recommend this book.

Jeder Schritt Zu Dir*

by Marie Force
Lost In Love-Die Green Mountain Serie #12
The Butler, Vermont Series #6
Translation Lena Kraus
Original Title Let It Be
Publisher Fischer TB on October 27, 2021
Genre Novel
Pages 331
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

When Lincoln Abbott first saw young Molly with her honey-colored hair, it was instantly down to him. He knows: with this woman he will spend the rest of his life. Forty years later, Lincoln receives a message from his father. Until then, Lincoln´s origins were never discussed in the Abbott family. But now, Molly and Lincoln decide to tell their children their incredible love story. From the pounding heartbeat when they first met to the day that presented them with a tough decision … (Personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

For Linc, it is clear the moment he sees Molly for the very first time, that she is the one and only. Molly on the other hand enjoys the summer away from her family. Sure, she misses them dearly but not the family business, she is about to step into. The summer with Linc and her work at a charity project is the best thing that could have happened to her. But when Linc tells her how he feels about her and that he is about to change everything, Molly realizes that there is more than only a brief moment of tenderness in her summer romance.

Style

Marie Force shows that she masters the whole range of emotions in a stylish manner. Well, there are a few unnecessarily cheesy bits and pieces, but all in all, this novel is a fantastic reading tour through the grandiose Vermont landscape. It was just great to follow the author´s light, harmonious tone, and style of writing, even if the story is not always in sunshine. It made my heart really warm in places while reading.

The family cohesion that is shown here is nice to see. At the same time, the author answers a number of questions that arose while reading the other volumes. I always had to smile when Linc´s children clearly stated that they didn´t want to know or hear certain things from their parents´ lives. Form this the author has developed many delicious scenes that give the novel a particularly beautiful note. There are beautiful father and son scenes, delicious dialogues between father and father-in-law, and atmospheric incidents between a mother and her children.

Characters

The author brings the most diverse characters together, as the whole Abbott family meets here. And it´s wonderful to see how the individual characters have developed. It was nice to see how the love story between Linc and Molly developed and how the two dealt with doubts and rejection. Molly´s fine instinct for the worries and needs of others, especially those of her family, comes into its own as well as Linc´s considerations and decisions. His way of arguing is wonderful, and you can see once again that his thoughts are often far ahead of his children.

Conclusion

A novel full of emotions, a little bit of kitsch, and lots of love. Once again, Marie Force has delivered great cinema. Read!

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Marie Force zeigt, dass sie die ganze Palette der Emotionen stilsicher beherrscht. Gut, es gibt die eine oder andere unnötige kitschige Stelle, aber alles in allem ist dieser Roman eine fantastische Lesereise durch die grandiose Landschaft Vermonts. Es war einfach großartig, dem leichten, harmonischen Ton und Schreibstil der Autorin zu folgen, auch wenn die Geschichte nicht immer eitel Sonnenschein ist. Da wurde mir beim Lesen stellenweise richtig warm ums Herz.

Der familiäre Zusammenhalt, der hier gezeigt wird, ist schön zu sehen. Gleichzeitig beantwortet die Autorin auch so einige Fragen, die sich beim Lesen der anderen Bände ergaben. Besonders schmunzeln musste ich immer dann, wenn Lincs Kinder klar sagten, dass sie gewisse Dinge aus dem Leben ihrer Eltern gar nicht wissen oder hören wollten. Daraus hat die Autorin so manch köstliche Szene entwickelt, die dem Roman eine besonders schöne Note verleihen. Da gibt es wunderschöne Vater, Sohn Szenen, köstliche Dialoge zwischen Vater und Schwiegervater und stimmungsvolle Begebenheiten zwischen einer Mutter und ihren Kindern.

Charaktere

Die Autorin bringt die unterschiedlichsten Charaktere zusammen, da die ganze Familie Abbott sich hier ein Stelldichein gibt. Und es ist wundervoll zu sehen, wie sich die einzelnen Figuren weiterentwickelt haben. Es war schön zu erfahren, wie sich die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Linc und Molly entwickelte und wie die beiden mit Zweifeln und Ablehnung umgegangen sind. Mollys feiner Instinkt für die Sorgen und Nöte anderer, besonders die ihrer Familie kommt genauso zur Geltung wie die Überlegungen und Entscheidungen von Linc. Seine Art zu argumentieren ist herrlich und man sieht einmal mehr, dass er seinen Kindern gedanklich oft weit voraus ist.

Resultat

Ein Roman voller Emotionen, einer kleinen Portion Kitsch und viel Liebe. Einmal mehr hat Marie Force großes Kino abgeliefert. Unbedingt Lesen!

*This book was published in the English language Let It Be by HTJB Inc. on December 24, 2020 

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary romance. She writes series as well as stand-alone novels. While her husband was in the U.S. Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland, and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island.

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11/18/2021

Let The HoHoHo Readathon 2021 Begin

Today starts the HoHoHo Readathon. During the #HoHoHoRAT, hosted by Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer, you can listen to any holiday and winter-themed book. No matter if it is a physical book, ebook, or audiobook. The readathon runs from Thursday, November 18th to Tuesday, November 30th, 2021. That means thirteen days of reading with two weekends in-between. Enough reading time for a book or two, don´t you think? So let me see how far I will come …

My list of planned books for the readathon:

Happy reading

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11/17/2021

Waiting On Wednesday #170 – Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

I discovered the information about this new Outlander book yesterday and changed my plan for today's Waiting On Wednesday post. Although this hardcover will be over 1100 pages thick, at least the German edition, I guess I want to know how the story about Claire and Jamie will continue. I have read all the other Outlander novels and love the opulent style Diana Gabaldon shows as an author. After finishing the eighth novel in this series I had thought that the author was done with her Outlander books. Apparently not. So, yes, I am curious about what will happen next. I am presenting you today the German edition of Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone, which will be published the same day, as the US edition.

 

                            

Das Schwärmen Von Tausend Bienen

Author Diana Gabaldon

Outlander Series #9

Original Title Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone

Publishing Date November 23, 2021

Publisher Knaur

Format Hardcover

Goodreads

Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall were torn apart by the Jacobite Rising in 1743, and it took them twenty years to find each other again. Now the American Revolution threatens to do the same. It is 1779 and Claire and Jamie are at last reunited with their daughter, Brianna, her husband, Roger, and their children on Fraser’s Ridge. Having the family together is a dream the Frasers had thought impossible. Yet even in the North Carolina backcountry, the effects of war are being felt. Tensions in the Colonies are great and local feelings run hot enough to boil Hell’s teakettle. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants are split and it won’t be long until the war is on his doorstep. Brianna and Roger have their own worry: that the dangers that provoked their escape from the twentieth century might catch up to them. Sometimes they question whether risking the perils of the 1700s - among them disease, starvation, and an impending war - was indeed the safer choice for their family. Not so far away, young William Ransom is still coming to terms with the discovery of his true father’s identity - and thus his own - and Lord John Grey has reconciliations to make, and dangers to meet . . . on his son’s behalf, and his own. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War creeps ever closer to Fraser’s Ridge. And with the family finally, together, Jamie and Claire have more at stake than ever before.

Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone will be published November 23, 2021, by Delacorte Press.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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11/16/2021

Die Schönheit Des Himmels by Sarah Biasini

After reading this book, I see Sarah Biasini in a completely new light. And I am not sure if I like that. In here you will find a lot of unstructured, confusing, and sometimes very shocking information. The author tells her readers her unfiltered thoughts about life, death, motherhood, and family.

Die Schönheit Des Himmels*

by Sarah Biasini
Translation Theresa Benkert
Original Title Le beauté du ciel
Publisher Paul Zsolnay on October 25, 2021
Genre Novel
Pages 189
Format Hardcover
Source Paul Zsolnay
Goodreads
✶✶✶

Sarah Biasini traces the relationship with her mother, the famous actress Romy Schneider, in her touching book. A poetic text that raises questions: How do you grow up after losing your mother at the age of four? How do you go on living when death comes so close so soon? How do you mourn a mother who is idolized around the world? The author finds the answer in herself, in the love of her family, her friends, in the women who replaced her mother. A book about life that goes on despite everything. (Personal translation by © Vi at Inkvotary).

Style

The very beginning of the book surprised me. But not in a positive way. Yes, certain poetry comes through, but the sentences are bumpy, not to say as if ticked off on paper. However, I cannot say whether this is due to the translation or whether it is Sarah Biasini´s style.

The only thing that is clear to me is that Sarah Biasini has shown itself here, which on the one hand touched me very much and at the same time shocked me very much. The young woman, whom I only knew from TV shows, interviews, or newspaper articles and who looked into the cameras with a magical, almost shy smile, has nothing to do with the Sarah Biasini from the book. The Sarah in the book is filled with panic, is unstructured, which is also clearly shown in the structure of this book, and seems to be obsessed with death. And that in an almost morbid way. Some of her considerations really shocked me, to say the least.

There is nothing in this book about the fragile, radiant daughter, who the public likes to declare to be the image of the world-famous mother. But on the contrary. Sarah Biasini makes it clear that she doesn´t share the way how the world sees her mother. Neither in terms of what is “as the face” nor in terms of character. That she thought it was a mistake the way her mother let the cameras – whether they were television cameras or a photographer´s camera – into her life. Even if this resulted in unforgettable recordings, which Sarah obviously lives on to this day.

This book shows the pain, the inner turmoil, and the incomplete fragments of the memory of a four-year-old who had to deal with the deaths of two loved ones in quick succession. Sometimes it sounds almost macabre how the now grown-up Sarah deals with death, in places almost poetically ponders what would be if, and then concludes everything with a “what the heck”. As you read it, however, it became clear that Sarah made a conscious choice for a life away from the limelight, despite her acting profession and the fact that she will always be the famous daughter of the even more famous mother. That she consciously uses the image that the public has or wants to see of her and can live with it in the best possible way.

Conclusion

The book touched me at times, shocked me very much, and amazed me a few times. The way Sarah Biasini presents herself here completely surprised me. For both good and bad. To be honest, some things in this book were way too intimate for me, while others were too confused or simply incomprehensible to me. In the end, I can only say that much of this book would have been better left completely private. As a kind of diary for the daughter, but not for the public. And for anyone who speaks French, I recommend reading this book in the original language. The translation is a bit bumpy and doesn´t always read harmoniously.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German and French languages. The book was kindly provided to me by Lovelybooks/ Paul Zsolnay in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Schon der Beginn des Buches hat mich überrascht. Aber nicht gerade im positiven Sinne. Ja, da schlägt eine gewisse Poesie durch, aber die Sätze sind holprig, um nicht zu sagen, wie abgehakt auf das Papier gesetzt. Ob das allerdings der Übersetzung geschuldet ist oder tatsächlich der Stil von Sarah Biasini ist, kann ich nicht sagen.

Klar ist für mich nur, dass sich hier eine Sarah Biasini gezeigt hat, die mich zum einen sehr berührt und zugleich aber auch sehr geschockt hat. Die junge Frau, die ich bis dahin nur aus TV Shows, Interviews oder Zeitungsartikeln kannte und die mit einem zauberhaften, fast schon scheuen Lächeln in die Kameras blickte, hat mit der Sarah Biasini aus dem Buch gar nichts zu tun. Die Sarah im Buch ist erfüllt von Panik, ist unstrukturiert, was sich auch im Aufbau dieses Buches klar zeigt, und scheint geradezu vom Tod besessen zu sein. Und dass auf fast schon morbide Art und Weise. Manche ihrer Überlegungen hat mich regelrecht entsetzt, um es mal milde auszudrücken.

Von der fragilen, strahlenden Tochter, die die Öffentlichkeit gerne zum Ebenbild der weltberühmten Mutter erklärt, ist in diesem Buch nichts zu finden. Ganz im Gegenteil. Sarah Biasini macht deutlich, dass sie die Art, wie die Welt ihre Mutter sieht, nicht teilt. Weder was das „wie aus dem Gesicht geschnitten“, angeht noch, was das Charakterliche betrifft. Dass sie es für einen Fehler hielt, wie die Mutter die Kameras – egal ob es Fernsehkameras waren oder die Kamera eines Fotografen - in ihr Leben gelassen hat. Auch wenn dadurch unvergessliche Aufnahmen entstanden sind, von denen Sarah offensichtlich bis heute zehrt.

Dieses Buch zeigt den Schmerz, die innerliche Zerrissenheit und die unvollständigen Bruchstücke der Erinnerung einer Vierjährigen, die kurz hintereinander den Tod zweier geliebter Menschen verkraften musste. Es klingt teilweise schon fast makaber, wie sich die heute erwachsene Sarah mit dem Tod beschäftigt, stellenweise beinahe poetisch darüber sinniert, was wohl wäre wenn, und dann alles mit einem „was solls“ abschließt. Es wird beim Lesen aber auch klar, dass Sarah sich ganz bewusst für ein Leben abseits des Rampenlichts entschieden hat, trotz ihres Schauspielberufs und der Tatsache, dass sie immer die berühmte Tochter der noch berühmteren Mutter sein wird. Dass sie das Bild, das die Öffentlichkeit von ihr hat bzw. sehen will, ganz bewusst bedient und damit bestens leben kann.

Resultat

Das Buch hat mich teilweise berührt, sehr geschockt und einige Male sehr verblüfft. Die Art und Weise, wie Sarah Biasini sich hier präsentiert, hat mich dabei komplett überrascht. Sowohl im Guten wie im Schlechten. Um ehrlich zu sein, mir war so einiges in diesem Buch viel zu intim, während mir anderes zu verworren geschildert wurde oder einfach unverständlich blieb. Am Ende kann ich nur sagen, vieles aus diesem Buch wäre wohl besser komplett privat geblieben. Als eine Art Tagebuch für die Tochter, aber nicht für die breite Öffentlichkeit. Und wer Französisch beherrscht, dem empfehle ich, dieses Buch in der Originalsprache zu lesen. Die Übersetzung ist doch etwas holprig und liest sich nicht immer harmonisch.

Sarah Biasini

Sarah Biasini, born in 1977, the daughter of Romy Schneider and Daniel Biasini, is an actress. She studied art history at the Sorbonne and worked in museums and galleries before taking acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in Los Angeles. After that, she was on stage in London for a year. In 2003 she played the title role in the film "Julie, chevalier de Maupin". In addition to the theater, she has discovered a new way of expressing herself. She wrote a book for her daughter.

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