The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley
On Sale Date: September 18th 2018
Pages: 368

American photographer Cady Drake has never known a real family, as she went from one foster home to another when she was a child. . The only person who have her trust is Maxine, an older woman who had taken Cady under her wing as a younger girl. And then Maxine passes away all of a sudden. Out of frustration, she kicks her beloved vintage carousel rabbit Gus, to find a letter hidden inside it. She is sent on assignment to France to take photos of carousels for a book. She is intrigued when she hears about the rundown Chateau Clement in the Provence with a carousel but in order to take photos for her book she's going to have to get the permission of the crusty, old owner who might be keeping a family secret or two. As Cady digs deeper into the past, unearthing century old photographs of the Clement carousel and its creators, she might be the one person who can bring the past to light and reunite a family torn apart.

I really liked this book.The narrative voices switch from contemporary France to the 1940s France when a young carver female gets hired by Gustave Bayol, an actual famous carousel creator.  At some points the historic part of the story didn't progress very much and it became a bit slow, and at some points it didn't connect that much to Cady's story in the present . But further on it is an enjoyable read, and everything in it was well balanced.The reader learns about Cady's early life, Maelle's relationships and her desire to be a carver, and what happened to Fabrice during the war that makes him such an unhappy man. And beside this all, there is a friendship slash romantic interest that leads Cady to a trip to Paris, which was a nice addition to the story.

Overall this is a very charming and enjoyable read set in the Provence.