What We Did for Love

November 15, 2013
Set against the backdrop of World War II, Farrant's first for teens (After Iris, 2013, etc.) captures the whirlwind of first love and the complications of taking action during a most dangerous time. With great anticipation, Arianne and her cousin Solange watch Luc Belleville and his mother arrive back in town after a five-year absence. Rumors as to why they've returned abound in their small French town, Samaroux. Arianne and Luc were once childhood friends, but their last meeting ended in a fight. Now reunited, they fall in love, a romance that grows and blossoms during visits to an abandoned house. The novel unfolds like a movie, as readers are privy to the thoughts of other characters: There is Romy, who is hopelessly in love with Arianne; Paul, Arianne's little brother, who spies for Romy; and Alois, the German soldier who grapples with wartime guilt and perhaps deserves to be the focus of his own novel. By the book's third act, the plot centers on how Luc's decision to help the Resistance and its consequences affect the whole town. While the final chapters are heartbreaking, Farrant manages to slip in beauty during a fearsome scene with Paul that offers hope to an unimaginable conclusion: "Sun danced on ash, a pillar of light." A worthwhile addition to historical romance that honors one real French town's tragic and true event. (afterword) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-By February of 1944, the small, quiet French town of Samaroux had endured rationing but had thus far been spared the terror of German invasion. After five years away, Luc Belleville and his mother return there under a cloud of mystery and suspicion. Arianne and her cousin Solange are intrigued by the return of the hot-headed and attractive Luc, but quickly learn that he has no interest in interacting with anyone. However, through a series of chance meetings, Luc and Arianne develop a mutual, yet contentious attraction. Luc's rival Romy, the son of a supposed German informant, remains unsuccessful at keeping the couple at odds. When a train crashes close to Samaroux, provoking the attention of the German military, Romy's father collaborates with the Nazis to uncover the saboteurs. While spying on Arianne and Luc, Romy overhears information that implicates Luc, but that could put the whole town in danger. The violence and turmoil that ensue closely follow the true story of the massacre in the French town of Oradour-sur-Glane in June of 1944. Though the story offers a different lens through which to view World War II, the love story is not drawn well enough to be compelling. Collections in need of additional sources to complement social studies curricula may find this to be a unique addition. However, teens will be unlikely to pick it up for general-interest reading.-Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Though the title and barbed-wire-wrapped rose on the cover suggest an emphasis on romance, the World War II setting of Arianne and Luc's love story informs most of the plot. The story feels slow at first but picks up quickly when the backlash against Luc's resistance activities leads to a village massacre. The final scenes are compelling but not for the fainthearted.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)