A review by ispeakbooknerd
The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg
3.0
A secret about myself. I love books written by foreign authors that are then translated to English. They always feel so much more authentic to culture. This was part of what drew me to The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg. The other part was the main character's age of 96, looking back on a life well-lived. I do enjoy a book with an elderly protagonist. Old age seems to take away their inhibitions, and they become more genuine to this reader anyway.
Doris Alm lived her early years in Stockholm. She lost her father at a young age and was sent away to work as a housemaid for a rich French woman residing in the city. This novel follows her life as she tells her grandniece, who was like the child she never had and raised, about her journey. When she was working for this Frenchwoman, they ended up moving to Paris, where she was discovered as a true beauty and began to work as a live mannequin (a model). She met the literal romantic love of her life there. Now she is old and frail, and Jenny, her grandniece, is struggling to accept that Doris will soon die.
Doris and Jenny make great main characters. They do seem to be fairly well-rounded, although Jenny perhaps could've been a touch better done. I enjoyed following Doris's life as she ended up in various places on the globe. The love story touched my heart just as it was meant to do, right up to the end. Although the story seems to be well written and flow smoothly, it did not reach out and grab me by the collar as some books do. This is perhaps relating to the quality of the translation, or perhaps it's something within me that I can't put a name to.
It did have one quote that I really, really like, and it's this:
"I wish you enough. Enough sun to light up your days, enough rain that you appreciate the sun. Enough joy to strengthen your soul, enough pain that you appreciate life's small moments of happiness. And enough friends that you can manage a farewell now and then."
I'd recommend this to fans of historical fiction everywhere.
Doris Alm lived her early years in Stockholm. She lost her father at a young age and was sent away to work as a housemaid for a rich French woman residing in the city. This novel follows her life as she tells her grandniece, who was like the child she never had and raised, about her journey. When she was working for this Frenchwoman, they ended up moving to Paris, where she was discovered as a true beauty and began to work as a live mannequin (a model). She met the literal romantic love of her life there. Now she is old and frail, and Jenny, her grandniece, is struggling to accept that Doris will soon die.
Doris and Jenny make great main characters. They do seem to be fairly well-rounded, although Jenny perhaps could've been a touch better done. I enjoyed following Doris's life as she ended up in various places on the globe. The love story touched my heart just as it was meant to do, right up to the end. Although the story seems to be well written and flow smoothly, it did not reach out and grab me by the collar as some books do. This is perhaps relating to the quality of the translation, or perhaps it's something within me that I can't put a name to.
It did have one quote that I really, really like, and it's this:
"I wish you enough. Enough sun to light up your days, enough rain that you appreciate the sun. Enough joy to strengthen your soul, enough pain that you appreciate life's small moments of happiness. And enough friends that you can manage a farewell now and then."
I'd recommend this to fans of historical fiction everywhere.