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kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
With an interesting cast of characters, a fascinating plot, a forbidden romance and a slight mystery element, The Winemakers by Jan Moran is an engrossing historical novel about a Napa Valley vintner whose secrets from the late 1920s come to light during the mid 1950s.
Caterina Rosetta dreads telling her beautiful and accomplished mother, Ava, about her now one year old daughter, Marisa. Now having to face the harsh reality of keeping her illegitimate baby, Caterina can no longer keep the news from Ava and just as she feared, her revelation is met with anger and demands she give Marisa up for adoption. Immediately following their heated argument, Caterina is stunned to learn she has inherited a cottage and vineyard in Tuscany from her paternal grandmother. This discovery is just the first of many secrets that she learns her mother has been keeping from her and Caterina travels to Italy searching for answers to the questions about her family's past.
Caterina never planned to be an unwed mother but her attempts to tell Marisa's father about the pregnancy were unsuccessful. Brokenhearted, she managed to find a wonderful home where she found a very supportive and understanding couple to help her through this difficult time. From discussions she and her mother had over the years, Caterina knows exactly how her mom will react, so she feels like she has no choice but to keep the news of the pregnancy and subsequent birth to herself. Unfortunately Ava's reaction is exactly what she expected and with very few options available, she feels that moving to Italy with Marisa is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. However, she is almost immediately confronted by unexpected revelations about her family and she is bewildered by her mother's lies. Learning the truth about her father is difficult but her hopes for the future are shattered once Caterina hears the rumors everyone believes are true about her father and another woman.
Ava's past is tragic but she worked hard make the Napa Valley vineyard a success. She truly believed she made the right decision to conceal the truth about her husband and she never expected her lies to be uncovered. Now regretting those long ago decisions, Ava is overcome with guilt for her angry outbursts during Caterina's childhood. She also realizes that while she had good intentions, she did not always treat her daughter fairly. Ava is deeply remorseful for her somewhat irrational reaction to Caterina's announcement about Marisa and she fears her relationship with Caterina will never recover. As she is trying to figure out a way to smooth over their relationship, a calamitous event threatens to destroy the vineyard. When a person from her past returns, Ava lives in fear of what will happen to her beloved home.
The Winemakers is a multi-layered story that takes place in both California and Italy. Both settings are picturesque and the beautiful descriptions bring them vibrantly to life. Through a series of flashbacks, the heartbreaking events from Ava's past are slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel. Caterina's storyline is equally compelling as she uncovers the truth about her family while attempting to make a difficult decision about her future. Jan Moran's extensive research adds a layer of authenticity to the plot and provides readers with an eye-opening glimpse of societal issues of the time period. Although a little melodramatic and a little rushed, the novel's conclusion is quite heartwarming.
Caterina Rosetta dreads telling her beautiful and accomplished mother, Ava, about her now one year old daughter, Marisa. Now having to face the harsh reality of keeping her illegitimate baby, Caterina can no longer keep the news from Ava and just as she feared, her revelation is met with anger and demands she give Marisa up for adoption. Immediately following their heated argument, Caterina is stunned to learn she has inherited a cottage and vineyard in Tuscany from her paternal grandmother. This discovery is just the first of many secrets that she learns her mother has been keeping from her and Caterina travels to Italy searching for answers to the questions about her family's past.
Caterina never planned to be an unwed mother but her attempts to tell Marisa's father about the pregnancy were unsuccessful. Brokenhearted, she managed to find a wonderful home where she found a very supportive and understanding couple to help her through this difficult time. From discussions she and her mother had over the years, Caterina knows exactly how her mom will react, so she feels like she has no choice but to keep the news of the pregnancy and subsequent birth to herself. Unfortunately Ava's reaction is exactly what she expected and with very few options available, she feels that moving to Italy with Marisa is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. However, she is almost immediately confronted by unexpected revelations about her family and she is bewildered by her mother's lies. Learning the truth about her father is difficult but her hopes for the future are shattered once Caterina hears the rumors everyone believes are true about her father and another woman.
Ava's past is tragic but she worked hard make the Napa Valley vineyard a success. She truly believed she made the right decision to conceal the truth about her husband and she never expected her lies to be uncovered. Now regretting those long ago decisions, Ava is overcome with guilt for her angry outbursts during Caterina's childhood. She also realizes that while she had good intentions, she did not always treat her daughter fairly. Ava is deeply remorseful for her somewhat irrational reaction to Caterina's announcement about Marisa and she fears her relationship with Caterina will never recover. As she is trying to figure out a way to smooth over their relationship, a calamitous event threatens to destroy the vineyard. When a person from her past returns, Ava lives in fear of what will happen to her beloved home.
The Winemakers is a multi-layered story that takes place in both California and Italy. Both settings are picturesque and the beautiful descriptions bring them vibrantly to life. Through a series of flashbacks, the heartbreaking events from Ava's past are slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel. Caterina's storyline is equally compelling as she uncovers the truth about her family while attempting to make a difficult decision about her future. Jan Moran's extensive research adds a layer of authenticity to the plot and provides readers with an eye-opening glimpse of societal issues of the time period. Although a little melodramatic and a little rushed, the novel's conclusion is quite heartwarming.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
visit the tasty locations here: The winemakers
There is so much to love about this novel and more than lives up to the high standard she set with Sent of Triumph. I just really identify with her characters and understand them. Ava and Caterina’s lives are so far removed from my own but it’s the little details and the secrets women share that made me feel close to them.
It’s a story about women and the choices they had in the 1950s that really held my fascination. The family secrets that come spilling out and the treatment of women as second class citizens is nicely drawn and creates a trail of deceit, secrets and ultimately hope.
On top of this, the story of winemaking and the skill and detail that this involves was just amazing. I knew nothing about this yet I felt I was on the vineyard myself, talking the language of wine and even though I rarely drink the stuff myself, I really wanted to spend time in both locations finding out more. It’s quite an insight into how wine is made and how a vineyard is so much work but can stay in a family for decades.
These are all great ingredients for a novel and together it’s like a tapestry of colour, aromas and sensations. A picture of the 1950s, of viniculture and women with choices and family ties.
You have to read this with a glass of the best vino you can find. Relax, take a sip and indulge in a lovely, full flavoured journey.
Jan Moran popped over to the booktrail to tell us a few wine related secrets - The Winemakers author spills the beans but gladly not the wine
The photo shows her tasting wine and researching the novel!
There is so much to love about this novel and more than lives up to the high standard she set with Sent of Triumph. I just really identify with her characters and understand them. Ava and Caterina’s lives are so far removed from my own but it’s the little details and the secrets women share that made me feel close to them.
It’s a story about women and the choices they had in the 1950s that really held my fascination. The family secrets that come spilling out and the treatment of women as second class citizens is nicely drawn and creates a trail of deceit, secrets and ultimately hope.
On top of this, the story of winemaking and the skill and detail that this involves was just amazing. I knew nothing about this yet I felt I was on the vineyard myself, talking the language of wine and even though I rarely drink the stuff myself, I really wanted to spend time in both locations finding out more. It’s quite an insight into how wine is made and how a vineyard is so much work but can stay in a family for decades.
These are all great ingredients for a novel and together it’s like a tapestry of colour, aromas and sensations. A picture of the 1950s, of viniculture and women with choices and family ties.
You have to read this with a glass of the best vino you can find. Relax, take a sip and indulge in a lovely, full flavoured journey.
Jan Moran popped over to the booktrail to tell us a few wine related secrets - The Winemakers author spills the beans but gladly not the wine
The photo shows her tasting wine and researching the novel!
lannareadsnovels's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the overall idea of the book and it had me on the edge of my seat quite a bit. I really wasn’t satisfied with the ending — i feel it was missing more details on what happened after they got the confirmation that it wasn’t a Flowers in the Attic moment. How did Ava react? I wanna know how the house turned out. Idk I guess that’s up to the imagination. Overall a good little read :)
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
visit the tasty locations here: The winemakers
There is so much to love about this novel and more than lives up to the high standard she set with Sent of Triumph. I just really identify with her characters and understand them. Ava and Caterina’s lives are so far removed from my own but it’s the little details and the secrets women share that made me feel close to them.
It’s a story about women and the choices they had in the 1950s that really held my fascination. The family secrets that come spilling out and the treatment of women as second class citizens is nicely drawn and creates a trail of deceit, secrets and ultimately hope.
On top of this, the story of winemaking and the skill and detail that this involves was just amazing. I knew nothing about this yet I felt I was on the vineyard myself, talking the language of wine and even though I rarely drink the stuff myself, I really wanted to spend time in both locations finding out more. It’s quite an insight into how wine is made and how a vineyard is so much work but can stay in a family for decades.
These are all great ingredients for a novel and together it’s like a tapestry of colour, aromas and sensations. A picture of the 1950s, of viniculture and women with choices and family ties.
You have to read this with a glass of the best vino you can find. Relax, take a sip and indulge in a lovely, full flavoured journey.
Jan Moran popped over to the booktrail to tell us a few wine related secrets - The Winemakers author spills the beans but gladly not the wine
The photo shows her tasting wine and researching the novel!
There is so much to love about this novel and more than lives up to the high standard she set with Sent of Triumph. I just really identify with her characters and understand them. Ava and Caterina’s lives are so far removed from my own but it’s the little details and the secrets women share that made me feel close to them.
It’s a story about women and the choices they had in the 1950s that really held my fascination. The family secrets that come spilling out and the treatment of women as second class citizens is nicely drawn and creates a trail of deceit, secrets and ultimately hope.
On top of this, the story of winemaking and the skill and detail that this involves was just amazing. I knew nothing about this yet I felt I was on the vineyard myself, talking the language of wine and even though I rarely drink the stuff myself, I really wanted to spend time in both locations finding out more. It’s quite an insight into how wine is made and how a vineyard is so much work but can stay in a family for decades.
These are all great ingredients for a novel and together it’s like a tapestry of colour, aromas and sensations. A picture of the 1950s, of viniculture and women with choices and family ties.
You have to read this with a glass of the best vino you can find. Relax, take a sip and indulge in a lovely, full flavoured journey.
Jan Moran popped over to the booktrail to tell us a few wine related secrets - The Winemakers author spills the beans but gladly not the wine
The photo shows her tasting wine and researching the novel!
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book from Bookstr/The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review.
This was quite the page-turner. I was intrigued by the first page and it kept my interest until the last.
A really fascinating story that intermixes suspense, romance, and wine making. I'll admit that sometimes that descriptions were a little too detailed for my personal taste, especially when it came to fashion, but there were also many beautiful images created, resulting in a wonderful read.
I really liked Ava and Caterina's charaters. I loved their power and growth throughout the novel.
The shifting focus on different characters and setting worked very well and kept the book interesting. I also liked that there was a lot going on plot-wise, with various issues arising. While much of the plot was fairly predictable, it was still a fun read.
I'm not big into romance books, but this was a pretty mellow one so I enjoyed it. The major relationship in the novel is well-developed without being overly descriptive (although it was a bit creepy at times).
Overall, a very well-written book that is easy to read and tells and fantastic story.
This was quite the page-turner. I was intrigued by the first page and it kept my interest until the last.
A really fascinating story that intermixes suspense, romance, and wine making. I'll admit that sometimes that descriptions were a little too detailed for my personal taste, especially when it came to fashion, but there were also many beautiful images created, resulting in a wonderful read.
I really liked Ava and Caterina's charaters. I loved their power and growth throughout the novel.
The shifting focus on different characters and setting worked very well and kept the book interesting. I also liked that there was a lot going on plot-wise, with various issues arising. While much of the plot was fairly predictable, it was still a fun read.
I'm not big into romance books, but this was a pretty mellow one so I enjoyed it. The major relationship in the novel is well-developed without being overly descriptive (although it was a bit creepy at times).
Overall, a very well-written book that is easy to read and tells and fantastic story.
shelfquest's review against another edition
5.0
I finished this book late one evening and went to bed soon after. As I laid in bed I digested the book and realized that I liked it so much because it made me feel happy. It also gave me the itch to travel, but if you must know one thing about the book, know that it made me happy.
In The Winemakers, the reader is fed little bits of information along the way. This can either be done well or not well, and Jan Moran definitely does a great job with it. The reader is given just enough to wonder and guess about what has happened but not enough to spoil the turns of the novel. The points of view go back and forth between Caterina in the 1950's and her mother, Ava, in the 1920's. Ava's back story largely takes place in Italy, while Caterina's is shared between California and Italy.
Largely, this is a story about a young woman looking to uncover the secrets of her family while finding her place in the world. There's loss, wine, love, and much more to this book. I highly recommend it! I also look forward to reading more from Jan Moran.
I am delighted to have been chosen to be a part of the launch for The Winemakers. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In The Winemakers, the reader is fed little bits of information along the way. This can either be done well or not well, and Jan Moran definitely does a great job with it. The reader is given just enough to wonder and guess about what has happened but not enough to spoil the turns of the novel. The points of view go back and forth between Caterina in the 1950's and her mother, Ava, in the 1920's. Ava's back story largely takes place in Italy, while Caterina's is shared between California and Italy.
Largely, this is a story about a young woman looking to uncover the secrets of her family while finding her place in the world. There's loss, wine, love, and much more to this book. I highly recommend it! I also look forward to reading more from Jan Moran.
I am delighted to have been chosen to be a part of the launch for The Winemakers. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ellenisthinking's review against another edition
2.0
Two stars instead of one only because I liked the descriptions of winemaking.
elvang's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this generational journey of two women in the wine industry and how the times they lived in shaped their lives. Moran slowly spins a tale of the lives of independent women in the Twenties and the Fifties but what resonated with me were the limited choices both Ava and Caterina faced in the decades portrayed in their stories.
Caterina in the fifties is a single parent working as a Sommelier in a restaurant trying to provide a life for her child until a lawyer informs her of a home in Italy bequeathed to her by her paternal grandmother. She is unable to face her mother Ava, the owner and manager of Mille Etoile winery in Napa Valley, nervous her rigid mother would not accept her illegitimate child. What she discovers in Italy unravels her mother’s past and shows Caterina just how many lies and untruths she has come to believe regarding her mother’s past. How she decides to confront her mother and her connection with the love of her life make for an entertaining read.
Ava, forced by circumstances to make choices unique to women in the Twenties is a survivor and a businesswoman first and foremost. When events from her past rise up to challenge her vineyard her decisions are hampered by the realities of the era in which she lives. Women owning property was unheard of in the Twenties, and the Fifties. The strength of women like Ava, forced into subterfuge to make a life and a business is fully explored in The Winemakers.
The finale does drift into melodrama and the book drags in parts but overall I enjoyed this look at the wine industry and the men and women who brought notoriety and respect for wine produced in the Napa Valley region of California. The author did her research and the story she has crafted is informative and entertaining. What struck home for me were the limited choices faced by business women in the first half of the Twentieth Century. Entrepreneurs were welcome in the USA, as long as they were male.
ARC received with thanks from the publisher via NetGalley.
Caterina in the fifties is a single parent working as a Sommelier in a restaurant trying to provide a life for her child until a lawyer informs her of a home in Italy bequeathed to her by her paternal grandmother. She is unable to face her mother Ava, the owner and manager of Mille Etoile winery in Napa Valley, nervous her rigid mother would not accept her illegitimate child. What she discovers in Italy unravels her mother’s past and shows Caterina just how many lies and untruths she has come to believe regarding her mother’s past. How she decides to confront her mother and her connection with the love of her life make for an entertaining read.
Ava, forced by circumstances to make choices unique to women in the Twenties is a survivor and a businesswoman first and foremost. When events from her past rise up to challenge her vineyard her decisions are hampered by the realities of the era in which she lives. Women owning property was unheard of in the Twenties, and the Fifties. The strength of women like Ava, forced into subterfuge to make a life and a business is fully explored in The Winemakers.
The finale does drift into melodrama and the book drags in parts but overall I enjoyed this look at the wine industry and the men and women who brought notoriety and respect for wine produced in the Napa Valley region of California. The author did her research and the story she has crafted is informative and entertaining. What struck home for me were the limited choices faced by business women in the first half of the Twentieth Century. Entrepreneurs were welcome in the USA, as long as they were male.
ARC received with thanks from the publisher via NetGalley.
lisah04's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, how I loved this book!
Caterina was raised by her widowed mother, Ava, in Napa Valley at a time when men were considered the head of a household and women's rights were few. Ava has secrets she has hid from her daughter that could have devasting effects on their futures. But Caterina has secrets of her own. Can they reveal the truth and come out stronger than before?
I enjoyed the descriptions of Napa, Italy, and France, and the winemaking process. I was transported back to my visit to Napa and dreamed of traveling to Italy.
If you like historical fiction with strong female leads, read The Winemakers. 4.5 stars
Thank you to Negalley for providing a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Caterina was raised by her widowed mother, Ava, in Napa Valley at a time when men were considered the head of a household and women's rights were few. Ava has secrets she has hid from her daughter that could have devasting effects on their futures. But Caterina has secrets of her own. Can they reveal the truth and come out stronger than before?
I enjoyed the descriptions of Napa, Italy, and France, and the winemaking process. I was transported back to my visit to Napa and dreamed of traveling to Italy.
If you like historical fiction with strong female leads, read The Winemakers. 4.5 stars
Thank you to Negalley for providing a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.