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Fiona Valpy

Sea of Memories Kindle Edition

by Fiona Valpy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

8,858 ratings

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When Kendra first visits her ailing grandmother, Ella has only one request: that Kendra write her story down, before she forgets…

In 1937, seventeen-year-old Ella’s life changes forever when she is sent to spend the summer on the beautiful Île de Ré and meets the charismatic, creative Christophe. They spend the summer together, exploring the island’s sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, and, for the first time in her life, Ella feels truly free.

But the outbreak of war casts everything in a new light. Ella is forced to return to Scotland, where she volunteers for the war effort alongside the dashing Angus. In this new world, Ella feels herself drifting further and further from who she was on the Île de Ré. Can she ever find her way back? And does she want to?

From the windswept Île de Ré to the rugged hills of Scotland, Sea of Memories is a spellbinding journey about the power of memory, love and second chances.

Print length

312 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Lake Union Publishing
Publication date

1 March 2018
File size

5829 KB
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Product description

About the Author

Fiona Valpy spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007. She and her family renovated an old, rambling farmhouse in the Bordeaux winelands, during which time she developed new-found skills in cement-mixing, interior decorating and wine-tasting.

All of these inspirations, along with a love for the place, the people and their history, have found their way into the books she’s written, which have been translated into German, Norwegian, Czech and Turkish.

Fiona now lives in Scotland, but enjoys regular visits to France in search of the sun.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06Y5PSTB5
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (1 March 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5829 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 535 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 8 in Women's Fiction About Friendship
- 9 in 20th Century Historical Romance (Books)
- 16 in Family Saga Fiction (Books)

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8,858 ratings

About the author

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Fiona Valpy

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Fiona is an acclaimed number 1 bestselling author, whose books have been translated into more than twenty different languages worldwide.

She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of World War II. Her meticulous historical research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.

She spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007, before returning to live in Scotland. Her love for both of these countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into the books she’s written.

Fiona says, "To be the first to hear about my NEW releases, please visit my website at www.fionavalpy.com and subscribe to the mailing list. I promise not to share your e-mail and I'll only contact you when a new book is out."

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Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		23%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from Australia

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Elisabeth zillig-Goeltenboth

Memories of the Sea

Reviewed in Australia on 2 August 2018

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Dearest Fiona, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful story. I had a grandmother like Ella and the name of my mother was Ella,and these two women shaped my life forever.Now i am a grandmother of 74 years and I am telling the life story of my Grandmother and mother to my wonderful grandchildren. You helped me,to find the sparkling points in their life. Elisabeth Zillig-Goeltenboth

6 people found this helpful

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Lee Osborne

I really loved this book

Reviewed in Australia on 7 February 2018

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I really loved this book. Whilst it encompassed a time generation between the grandmother Ella and her grandchild Kendra, it also encompassed a time of hardship, sacrifice and bravery experienced by every day folk during the Second World War both in France and England which was in itself a great story. But also there was so much more - loyalty,enduring friendship which survived the decades, and a broader understanding of love and the many different capacities of love, whether it be children, friendship, loyalty to country, lover and ultimately - husband. The history involving France and England during the war was historically interesting and moving, and even more so the courage of the main character Ella, her bravery in war, but also her capacity to love and give love. Make no mistake - not a soppy love story, but a story of courage and sacrifice. Definitely five stars for me. Thank you Fiona Valpy for your wonderful novel and the wonderful journey you took me on!! I would love to go to Ile de Re', so probably good for France's tourism as well !!!

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Relationships

Reviewed in Australia on 30 December 2018

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I loved the way that Fiona managed to portray the differences between life in Edinburgh and life on the island. It resonated with me having lived in Edinburgh before coming to Australia. The light is so different for a stsrt. The ups and downs of marriage, the complications that children and life in general can create, are all beautifully captured.

2 people found this helpful

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A very poignant story of love and loss

Reviewed in Australia on 6 June 2018

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This book straddles three generations as a dying grandmother recounts her life story to her granddaughter in the hope of winning the acceptance and understanding of her long estranged daughter. It is very evocative writing with a great deal of sensitivity. The different settings in the book are all well presented and the reader is comfortable moving through time and place. The main characters are developed with empathy and we are drawn effortlessly into their lives. My only criticism is that the relationship breakdown at the heart of the book if not developed more, especially in the context of how it affects the other relationships in the book. In my experience it is rare for such rifts to occur so comprehensively and abruptly. Here was a missed opportunity for the author to develop the psychology behind the failed relationship. Life is rarely so black and white. Enjoy this tender yet sad story.

3 people found this helpful

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Larry E. Manter

Sea of Memories

Reviewed in Australia on 30 October 2018

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I just had the experience of finding that what I expected to be a light but well-written romance type novel was really a treasure in my hands. I just did not expect to find such wonderful wisdom in a novel although I'm aware this exists. Very, very, oh so very, well worth reading. I am really glad I downloaded it! Fiona Valpy is not just an author but a philosopher of what life can be.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

An Outstanding Novel. Very Moving.

Reviewed in Australia on 16 November 2021

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I enjoyed reading this book. I found it hard to put down. Fiona has a talent for bringing her characters alive and into my heart. Her description of the settings in which her characters live are stunning. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. I too write and she has awakened in me the idea of how to approach my own life story, not an easy one to tell. I also applaud your editors Fiona. Too often I read books from Amazon that have glaring mistakes. I'm going to find more of your books right now. Dale

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M M Thwaite

A Life Well-Lived

Reviewed in Australia on 20 April 2019

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This poignant story transcends across the generations and has messages of healing, hope and acceptance. The contrasting settings in Scotland and France especially, are beautifully portrayed, and the differing time periods are believable in their context to the story.
The elderly certainly have valuable stories and wisdom to pass onto younger generations. "Sea of Memories" was such an enjoyable read that covered many other values and aspects of life's journey - courage, persistence, enduring friendship, carefree living, love, loss, responsibility, making choices and commitment.
The main focus was on the characters, Ella and her granddaughter, Kendra. I did wonder if there could have been more depth portrayed in the characterisation of Ella's daughter, Rhona; or is that another story to be told?

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Shirley Hay

Love the opportunity to rate your book

Reviewed in Australia on 4 February 2019

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The story held me and I loved to read about the beautiful French island,I could just picture it and sailing I could feel the wind in my face, it took me back to times in my life, where I live in an island of tasmania, South of the mainland of Australia . I am 81 and it brought back memory's of my life..the book was well finished off, it didn't leave you wondering. Shirley

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

JHT

Sea of Memories

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2018

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I am fighting back the tears of joy, what a lovely story. I have been gripped from the start. A love story with a difference. Helps one to dream too of what you can do in life if you want to & put your mind to it. It has probably helped me to move forward with a dream I have but the fear of putting my dream into action which has been holding me back. I have no hesitation in recommending this book & hope others enjoy it as much as I have.

70 people found this helpful

C J W

We all have a story to tell.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2018

Verified Purchase

I have not read anything by this author before but I like her style. Very easy reading with enough content to keep me reading into the night. Part of Ella's story - told to her grand daughter as ends her days - must be so like many others stories of her generation who went through the hardship and trauma of war but with an extra touch of suspense. Throughout this story of love weaves a dramatic picture of her struggle to be a protective mother to her children as she sacrifices her own desire to return to her 'first love' . Sea of Memories is a poignant love story within a love triangle that Ella's resilience overcomes. My sympathies are with Angus her 'lasting love' - what a patient man. Ella's grand daughter helps Ella to capture her story on paper as she herself is struggling in her own marriage that feels love lost. However all comes good in the end with a generous financial reward. Don't we all like a happy ending even if this one is a bit too tidy. I give it five stars for its easy reading and my desire to see this novel through. It's not taxing as a read but never the less it is a good book to while a few hours away. It reminds me that we all have a story to tell.

49 people found this helpful

JaquiP

A book of some charm and sentimentality with vivid descriptions

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2019

Verified Purchase

I wanted to fall in love with the book and I can see how many people would. For me, it fell between two things. I have read better love stories set in World War two and although the facts were there historically accurate, it just didn't touch me as I wanted it to do. As a love story on several levels, I guess it worked, but everyone was so nice.... so, for me, it felt a little overly sweet and sentimental, although it was well written and the descriptions were sometimes very lovely. The book begins with the definition of the word souvenir and a poem then moves to Edinburgh in the year 2014 Kendra... Then to her grandmother Ella in 1939 and goes back and forth as Kendra unlocks grandmother Ella's life and loves while struggling in the present with her own family issues. A pleasant, sweet read, well written, but, for me, just lacking something that even the descriptions of the magical Ile De Re in France and Ella's great love Christophe couldn't make crackle and sparkle enough to believe in.

29 people found this helpful

Tim B

Why the praise?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 December 2018

Verified Purchase

I couldn't get further than the first 13 pages. The writing is overly descriptive, repetitive and predictable. It makes me wonder how genuine the 5 star reviews are. It now seems that any such offerings are deemed worthy. It is enough to push educated readers back to browsing in bookshops instead of online. Maybe that would improve the quality of books on Kindle.

24 people found this helpful

rosb

relationships and special memories

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2018

Verified Purchase

This is the first book I have read by this author.Found it totaly inputdownable. A specoaL book about Ella and how her exploits during the war years and relationships with two young men affected her outlook on life. By writing her memoirs with the help of a voice recorder and her granddaughter Kendra she was finally able to repair hder life and give peace and harmny in Kendras life and show her daughter what really happened in France and make her fonally understand. Could go into more detail but this would spoil the story gor the reader. will now read the next bookab out the beekeeper!!

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