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    The Memory of Lavender and Sage
    The Memory of Lavender and Sage
    The Memory of Lavender and Sage
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Memory of Lavender and Sage

    Written by Aimie K. Runyan

    Narrated by Caroline Hewitt

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “A standout voice in women’s fiction. I was captivated from the very first line.” — Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Summer of Songbirds

    Perhaps the secrets of her mother’s past in this tiny French town hold the key to her own future. . .

    Food critic Tempèsta Luddington has always felt like the odd person out in her family, ever since she lost her beloved mother at the tender age of thirteen. When her workaholic father passes fifteen years later, Tempèsta is not surprised that the majority of the considerable family money will pass to her dutiful younger brother, Wal. Still, she is left a modest remembrance from her mother, and for the first time Tempèsta has a world of choices before her.

    Lost in grief and hoping to reconnect with her memories and her mother’s past, she uses the money to buy a ramshackle manor house in Sainte-Colombe, a small village in Provence, where her mother had grown up. But she is greeted with more questions than answers. Her welcome, especially by the town’s stodgy mayor, is cold at best, and she finds herself wondering if the entire experiment was a mistake.

    Yet she stays, stubbornly sticking it out, slowly learning that her mother’s legacy was more than just a nest egg. Through her mother and the village, Tempèsta learns the value of community and friendship, the importance of self-confidence, and the power of love and trust. What’s more, she sees for herself that there is magic and beauty in the everyday—even something as simple as a sprig of lavender and sage.

    “For readers who love Under the Tuscan Sun and Chocolat, this is your next heartfelt, delightful read.” —Jennifer Moorman, bestselling author of The Baker's Man

    • A dreamy escape into Southern France from bestselling author Aimie K. Runyan.
    • Perfect for fans of Katherine Center, Rebecca Serle, and Sarah Jio
    • Kate Quinn described Runyan’s previous work as “a moving tale of female solidarity and courage.”
    • Stand-alone novel of approximately 100,000 words
    • Includes discussion questions for book clubs
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarper Muse
    Release dateMar 5, 2024
    ISBN9781400237272
    The Memory of Lavender and Sage
    Author

    Aimie K. Runyan

    Aimie K. Runyan is a multi-published and bestselling author of historical and contemporary fiction. She has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year Award, a Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice selection, and a four-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. She is an adjunct instructor for the Drexel University MFA in Creative Writing program and endeavors to be active in the literary community in Colorado and beyond. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable cats, and a dragon.

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    Reviews for The Memory of Lavender and Sage

    4.5/5

    27 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5


      A great book! I loved the characters. Enjoy reading it.
    • 5/5
      Tempèsta Luddington was trained in finance to be able to help run her fathers philanthropic foundation and when she changes careers to become a food critic her family is very disappointed in her, especially her cantankerous grandmother. When her father suddenly dies she is left only a small inheritance from her mother who was from a small village Sainte-Colombe, in Provence. Longing to connect with her mothers roots she travels to Sainte-Colombe and on a whim buys a run down cottage. The welcome is cold from the townsfolk, especially from the towns mayor. Her mother was known in the village as a 'witch' and people are stand offish. But as Tempèsta begins to restore her little cottage and work with herbs and plants a little bit of magic begins to happen. Her herbs proliferate and her new home becomes her forever home. As she offers her help to the village that is steadily losing its inhabitants to larger cities she finds love and acceptance and a new foundation for family. This is a feel good novel that I really enjoyed listening to. There are elements of magical realism running throughout which enhance the story. I love stuff like that. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Tempe has never lived up to her family expectations. Her mother died when she was young and the family has never been the same. When her dad dies and leaves her out of the will, she knows it is time to move on and get away. She takes what her French mother left her and buys a house in France. She is going to learn about her heritage and hopefully find peace.There are so many things I love about this novel. It is very close to a 5 star read for me. I love Tempe. I love how she comes into her own and discovers who she wants to be and not what her family wants her to be. I love the old house she bought and the village in France. AND OH! The family secrets…one my favorite things in a novel! This story slows down a bit in the middle and is a bit repetitive in places. However, I fell for Tempe at the very first and she did not let me go!I have read quite a few books by this author. And all have been wonderful. But, I do have a favorite. It is The School for German Brides. You cannot go wrong with a single one of her books.I loved the narrator, Caroline Hewitt. She is perfect for Tempe. I truly listened to this in one day!Need a story which will take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
    • 4/5
      Tempesta is at a crossroads with her job and family. She lost her beloved mother at an early age, her father has just died leaving her younger brother his full estate, Tempesta only receiving a small inheritance from her mother. Her grandmother is cold, always making Tempesta feel unwanted, unloved, an outsider. Tempesta is a food critic who is cautioned about writing an honest review. This leads her to taking time off to reevaluate her goals and life and in this leap, finds herself and a new passion. From the beautiful cover to the descriptive writing of a small village in France, this is a treat to the senses. From the food to life in a small, struggling village to finding one’s passion, and add a little magic to the mix. This is a slow build, teasing us with a little more in each chapter. The characters are realistic, their personalities coming thru strongly. However I felt a sort of disconnect in their interactions, not truly feeling the relationship developing between Tempesta and Tiberi, or Tempesta and Wal. The characters on a whole felt one dimensional. The ending felt slightly rushed, trying to tie things up neatly in a bow. When I think of France, my thoughts are always of Paris, but after reading this book, I want to visit the small villages to get the full experience. I look forward to reading this author again, will definitely look into her historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
    • 5/5
      Tempèsta is a New York food critic with an unhappy family life. Her French-born mother died when she was 13 and she doesn't feel accepted by the rest of her family who own a huge Foundation. Her father and his mother always preferred her brother Wal and made no secret of the fact that they felt like she was too much like her mother for her to be a real part of such as prestigious family. When her father died, his entire estate is left to her brother - no surprise there - and it makes her want to make some changes in her life. She has a bit of money that was left to her by her mother so sight unseen she buys the house where her mother was born in Sainte-Colombe, a small village in Provence. When she arrives at the house she questions her decision to buy the run down and cluttered house where no one had lived for years. A local builder assures her that the house has good bones and that it will be magnificent when it's cleaned out and updated. She's also surprised at some of the negative feelings from the local residents who seem to be harboring bad feelings and memories about her mother. Despite the shape the house was in and the negative feelings from some of the people in town, she decided to stay. She gradually makes friends and becomes romantically involved with the builder who is helping her renovate her house. She also finds that she has a special talent for growing herbs in her greenhouse that amazes her. The small town is close to losing its school which would mean more of the young members of town would be moving away when Tempesta has an idea that she thinks will save the town. Will the people in the town who dislike her go along with her plan and will her plan even work to help save the town?This is a lovely book about family, friends and community and about learning more about previous generations of your family. It was great to see the main character change from feeling unloved by her family to creating a new family of people not connected by blood but made up of the people who cared the most about her.