Very good historical from the point of view of a crippled woman who is trying to find out what happened to her fiancee in World War One France. Sort of a mystery too as facts unfold. Good French film. ( )

One of the few where I think the movie is better than the book. Perhaps it's because it's set in France, with all French characters, but I found it difficult to keep track of who was who and where they were. And that is after having seen the movie several times so I could at least put a face to the names. It's not a bad mystery as Mathilde tries to discover what became of these 5 men, and Japrisot does a very good job of portraying her forthrightness and impatience with fools. ( )

While there is a cornucopia of novels out there about World War II, stories about The Great War are just a bit harder to find. Told in a deeply atmospheric style, as if remembering a dream, or looking at color photos faded to sepia, this tale “stuck” with me for months after putting it down.

I learned so much from this novel – things that should be taught in World History class, or perhaps were and I just forgot. Wild poppies in France. No Man’s Land. Deserters and self-induced injuries or purposeful recklessness. The called it The War to End All Wars and you certainly feel that when reading.

If you love historical fiction, a novel that transports you to another time, or learning history told through the lense of fiction, then I highly recommend “A Very Long Engagement”. ( )

Five men worn out by the carnage of the Somme take the drastic decision to shoot themselves in the hand. Each man is found guilty at court-martial and rather than lined up in front a firing squad are sentenced to be abandoned at night with their hands tied in no-mans-land between the opposing trenches. The five French soldiers are reportedly killed in battle but after the war, a dying solder raises doubts about their demise and suggests that at least one of them may have survived.

Mathilde Donnay, confined to a wheelchair after a childhood accident and the fiancée of the youngest victim, Manech, sets out to discover the truth about what happened that night. The book consequently isn't really a war story (although it is obviously written with that as it's backdrop) but rather one about the determination and resolve of a young woman to uncover the facts.

The novel was initially written in French before being translated into English contains a large cast of characters each adding a fragment to the whole rather like a jigsaw puzzle. As a reader you must either really concentrate or simply go with the flow in the hope that you get the gist of it. Yet despite the complex nature of the plot it ticks along at a decent pace.

The mud and fear that pervaded the trenches in France also pervade this novel. Readers can understand why a few soldiers thought that shooting themselves in the hand might be their ticket out of the madness. As Mathilde traces their stories and meets their families and friends, she shows us that memories that exist after such life changing events are not always totally trustworthy, the so called 'fog of war'. The depictions of the battlefield horrors are pretty graphic as are the psychological effects on the soldiers who were there and the resilience of people who must rebuild their lives in its aftermath. However, each topic is covered sympathetically and are lightened by interludes of subtle humour.

“A glass of wine taken with dinner makes doctor’s purse a little thinner.”

As stated previously there is a large cast of characters some of whom, like Tina and Celestine, are memorable but the weight of the book rests on Mathilde's shoulders and its here that I have a few minor gripes. I just couldn't make my mind up about her. At times I found her plucky and sympathetic but at others demanding and spoilt but I think that everyone can admire is her determination and will root for her as the tale nears its conclusion.

On the whole I found this a thoroughly enjoyable book from and author of whom I previously knew nothing about. Perhaps the over-riding message of this book is that hope and despair are often the flip sides of the same coin both for those who go off to fight but also those who must stay behind. ( )

I read this about a month or so ago but forgot to write a journal entry. Still, it's a pretty memorable book.

During WWI five French soldiers are tossed into the no-man's land between the French and German armies as punishment for wounding themselves to get out of duty. This was not standard procedure so the details are not generally available. What actually happened to the men is not told to their loved ones.

One of these loved ones is Mathilde Donnay, engaged to one of the soldiers, the youngest. Injured in childhood, she is unable to walk. She is determined to find out exactly what happened to her fiance, however, and leaves no stone unturned to get answers.

Different stories are told by different persons. Sometimes the facts match up and sometimes they do not. Mathilde does not let this discourage her.

It's a touching story, laden with the heaviness of war. It gave me a very real sense of what it must have been like in those trenches, at least part of the time. And Mathilde stands up as a hero in her own right. ( )