The Light Behind The Window: A breathtaking story of love and war from the bestselling author of The Seven Sisters series

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A sweeping, engrossing work. Riley is talented, delighting in the small details of aristocratic luxury and the pastoral countryside . . . The heroines of [The Light Behind the Window] struggle to master circumstances seemingly beyond their control, a common thread in Riley’s work. A tale of family secrets, wartime espionage, and loyalties gained and gambled, The Lavender Garden will appeal to fans of historical fiction, Kate Morton, and Helen Bryan A fast-paced, suspenseful story flitting between the present day and World War II . . . Riley expertly weaves Emilie’s story into a dual narrative . . . A real old-fashioned romance which manages to have a compelling narrative as well as something of a history lesson in the Special Operations Executive. Brilliant escapism No habiendo leído aún “Hothouse Flower”, me decidí por conocer a Lucinda Riley a través de esta novela, de la que también había escuchado buenas referencias.

If you don't care what life was like in wartime France, the hardships and dangers, why bother to set your story there? With one exception nothing really difficult happens to these ridiculous characters. And they are so ridiculous. They do nothing and then talk to each other about how brave they all are. The incredible bravery of the SOE, the Resistance and the ordinary French men and women is movingly told; I'm a Brit used to war stories told from home soil and am ashamed to say how little I know about day to day occupied France. That's not to say this is a gritty war book though, far from it. There are some tense moments, but they're dealt with 'nicely' with only hints of the horrors that happen off-screen. The main body of this book is how the long-lost secrets of the past affect the future generations. You may be right. It's only coffee. So let's also talk about forged identity papers. Based on this book I'd assume 90% of citizens in France during the war had forged papers. Need new papers? Your local aristocrat can have them whipped up overnight! Don't know any aristocrats? Head to the nearest cottage; the peasantry can meet the same deadline for half the price! (I am assuming on the price thing; money is never mentioned and it's never hard for anyone to obtain anything in this book.) I will also say that the dialogue and language in which this book is written is ridiculous. It’s kitschy in the WWII sections for sure and, throughout the whole book and both times periods, way too formal. I understand that for most of the book the characters are speaking in French but, as someone who speaks French, I also know how to translate it to English. The tone was just all wrong and way too off-putting. As a lover of things Provençal and interested in the role of the French Resistance, this book was a favorite.Forced to surrender her identity and all ties to her homeland, Constance finds herself drawn into a complex web of deception, the repercussions of which will affect generations to come . . . Combina, como en tantas otras, una historia en el presente y otra en el pasado, concretamente en 1943, en las postrimerías de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y en la Francia ocupada por los nazis. Sebastian's family had some connection to Emilie's chateau and vineyard, and the winemakers on the estate knew what that connection was. The account of the important family connection is revealed through Constance's life during WWII and her connection to the de la Martinieries' family. But, did Sebastian suddenly appear and help Emilie because of the family connection or because he was interested in the valuable paintings inside her estates and most of all her family inheritance? Emilie de la Martinieres is the sole surviving member of her family and is left with a chateau with vineyards and another home in Paris. Both homes are filled with memories and contents worth millions. But, the millions won't be Emile's because of the debt her mother mounted over the years. Emilie needs to decide if she should sell or keep the chateau. She never had to deal with finances and was doing it alone until a complete stranger, Sebastian, came on the scene.

I love Lucinda's writing, intelligence and skill in describing works of art. She's also a wonderful poet.The detail is extraordinary - a superb history lesson. She's a wonderful storyteller. This is another really exciting, gripping story. I've got all her books. This one is classified as historical fiction and that it is. I have no qualms with that. However, that’s probably my only non-objection to this one. Lucinda Riley attempts to interweave the stories of Emilie de la Martinières, a young French woman who recently inherited a vast fortune after her mother’s death, and Constance Carruthers, a young English woman who was sent to France during World War II as a special operative. Riley then tells the reader how these two women, decades apart, are intertwined. The potential this story had was immense but unfortunately it remains just that - potential. I wasn't sorry, it was such a touching and gripping story i couldnt stop listening to it! You really get the characters and feel their emotions, The narrator read it so well too, highly recommended. The Light Behind the Window is a stunning tale of love, war and, above all, forgiveness, from Lucinda Riley, international #1 bestselling author of the Seven Sisters series.

A fast-paced, suspenseful story flitting between the present day and World War II . . . Brilliant escapism' – Red I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic whether a fan of Lucinda Riley's or not. TW; rape (I put it in one of the spoilers, but just in case someone wants to go through and read them all.) Lucinda Riley was born in 1965 in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first novel aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and continue to strike an emotional chord with cultures all around the world. The Seven Sisters series specifically has become a global phenomenon, creating its own genre. But the crowning idiocy is at the convergence of the two stories: After the war ends what on earth is the justification for not telling Frederik about his daughter?! And he just doesn't care! "You lied to me about my child for 55 years and only told me she existed after she died so I had no hope of ever having a relationship with her, but hey, water under the bridge!" And Emilie and Jean congratulate Jacques on how wise this decision was. (?!) It was baffling and silly and nonsensical.

Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Italian Bancarella Prize, the Lovely Books Award in Germany, and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. In 2020 she received the Dutch Platinum Award for sales over 300,000 copies for a single novel in one year – a prize last won by J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter.