A review by liralen
A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined House in France by Miranda Richmond Mouillot
4.0
I took so many notes reading this book—I loved the writing. Aaaand I don't have all that much to say. As a family story, I think it's fascinating. Mouillot went after her grandparents' history because she understood that she only had so long before she could no longer access that history, or at least no longer access any memories they were willing to share of that history.
"I don't know, Miranda, when you talk about your grandparents, who are, what, ninety now?"
I nodded. "More than ninety, actually."
"Well, more than ninety, long divorced, separated by an entire ocean—what's extraordinary about them is that they're more emotionally involved with each other than most married couples who have been living together for that long." (99)
Mouillot's grandparents' relationship had never really ended, even though they refused to associate with one another and refused to speak well of one another, even though they hadn't seen each other in years and years and years. Mouillot wanted to understand why: what brought them together, and what tore them apart? But what she found was both more prosaic and more startling than she might have expected. I won't spoil it, but... You know how they say that things like loss of a child can tear a marriage apart? Well, a war, and a war's aftermath, can do the same thing. This is not a love story, but it might be a love letter to two people who loved and lost and could not or would not let go.
If this clicked for you, I might also recommend [book:I'm Supposed to Protect You from All This|28110154] for dealing with related material about family and culture.
"I don't know, Miranda, when you talk about your grandparents, who are, what, ninety now?"
I nodded. "More than ninety, actually."
"Well, more than ninety, long divorced, separated by an entire ocean—what's extraordinary about them is that they're more emotionally involved with each other than most married couples who have been living together for that long." (99)
Mouillot's grandparents' relationship had never really ended, even though they refused to associate with one another and refused to speak well of one another, even though they hadn't seen each other in years and years and years. Mouillot wanted to understand why: what brought them together, and what tore them apart? But what she found was both more prosaic and more startling than she might have expected. I won't spoil it, but... You know how they say that things like loss of a child can tear a marriage apart? Well, a war, and a war's aftermath, can do the same thing. This is not a love story, but it might be a love letter to two people who loved and lost and could not or would not let go.
If this clicked for you, I might also recommend [book:I'm Supposed to Protect You from All This|28110154] for dealing with related material about family and culture.