Jay Mackintosh is trapped by memory in the old familiar landscapes of his childhood, more enticing than the present, and to which he longs to return. A bottle of home-brewed wine left to him by a long-vanished friend seems to provide both the key to an old mystery and a doorway into another world.

Writer. In the book, he had written one very successful novel entitled Jackapple Joe. Since then he has been unable to write. He starts another novel, and moves to a quaint French village where he meets new friends and finds heaps of inspiration, all the while being haunted by a ghost from the past.

This is a fantastically inspirational novel, and could be one of the best I've ever read.

The novel was always exciting and kept you reading. Harris’s descriptions and style. The characterisations and exchanges between characters.

I have only one complaint: In the French village, I found it difficult to keep track of characters. I was unsure as to who was who and what their position in the story as a whole was. This only occurred with extreme secondary characters, but was disappointing nonetheless.

Immediately snatch up another novel by Joanne Harris and hopefully consume it with as much relish as I did this one.

It struck many emotional cords within me. Fear, disgust, sheer glee, sadness. I, as a reader, connected with this novel in a profound way. Not because it has some hidden message I found, but because it is just so damn good. I felt like I was back in time, in nature. I felt like I was in small villages with mysterious and fun people. It made me taste things, smell things, crave a nice glass of wine.

Is Joanne Harris.

Harris has been described as a writer of “organic fiction”. She tells her thoughts and stories through scents, food, and plants. Her descriptions are always vivid and real. At one point, her style sent a shiver through my body and I cried out. Fantastic.

It inspires writers. It is wonderfully written and a great read. It’s one of those things you look back at and feel warm inside about. One of those stories you don’t want to end, and you always wonder what happened next…

I recommend this book to anyone. I can’t honestly think of anyone with half a head who wouldn’t adore this.

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Created Aug 11, 2003 at 5:13pm • Submit your own review...