I know almost nothing about my ancestry, and to be honest, never had much interest (my parents were the first of either of their family to leave China, so I imagine my family history is pretty straightforward up until that point). But I see how emotional people get when they're presented with their long line of ancestors, all the lives lived, the suffering, the endurance, the creation, and it all leads up to you in the present day. The added layer of the uniquely female bond that extends from mother to daughter, passed down with each generation, is so awe inspiring - look up "mitochondrial Eve". That is what this book is about to me, the powerful female intuition that refuses to be ignored, an instinctual feeling that pushes you in the right direction, even though it doesn't make sense at the time.

The two Tournier women, although separated by centuries, lead parallel lives, both strangers in a strange land. Chevalier, who herself is of Swiss-French ancestry, spins a tale of a Huguenot family fleeing their provincial French village in search of religious refuge in the Swiss mountains during the Protestant Reformation, and also of their modern day American descendant, who moves upon her husband's job relocation to France. While her initial interest in tracing her ancestry is more of a distraction from her boredom and restlessness, it snowballs into a search for self, accelerated by a recurring nightmare of a striking, beautiful, foreboding shade of blue.

Chevalier's writing style is one that appreciates the beauty in simplicity. I hate flowery, overly descriptive language, how many degrees a head is turned, or each mote of dust swirling in the air. Chevalier tells it like it is, like how paint is put on a canvas. The end result is an artistic mirror of reality, but the more you gaze, the more subtleties you can pick up on. Although it's slow on action, what a beautiful journey. I'm docking a star only because I think the ending was a bit abrupt, in that a momentous revelation happened, but we didn't get to know the main character's reaction to it. Aside from shock, obviously, did she find closure? Was she angry, sad, relieved? The tone was a bit off. Overall though, an engrossing read.

I really liked this historical fiction book. I had a hard time putting it down. I did start to get confused between characters about 3/4 of the way through the book. The storyline taking place in the past was vague at times.

Bellissimo romanzo (semi) storico, mi è piaciuta particolarmente la narrazione sdoppiata nelle due epoche.

The Virgin Blue haunts my shelf. It sits next to the other Tracy Chevalier novels. Quietly. Unassumingly. But it winks at me every time I walk past. Read me. No, you're weird. Read me. No, you kinda creep me out. Read me. I did already, that's how I know you're creepy. I know you like me. No, I don't. Then why is my binding wrinkled? Why are there soup spots on my pages? Because. Now go away. Read me. Listen, I've read you. You're very good, but a little creepy. I don't want creepy right now. But you like me. OK, I like you. Are you happy now? Not until you read me. Again. Fine. If I read you again, will you stop bothering me? Maybe....

I loved the setting of this book, which is reminiscent of Chocolat. Like Chocolat, however, the story didn't work as well as the setting.

Like many books today, the story is told in two different timelines: present day-ish and the sixteenth century. The present-day story centers around Ella and her move to France with her architect husband. She spends much of the book complaining, focusing far too much on herself, and meandering about with little purpose. She seems young and immature.

This is the third book in a row that I've read that demonstrates how secrets destroy trust and feature main characters making bad decisions that I really can't sympathize with.

The historical storyline is about Isabella, an ancestor of Ella's, who was brought up Catholic with a very strong connection to the Virgin Mary, but outwardly became a follower of the Truth as Calvinism spread across France.

Ella researches her family history as a way to feel like she belongs in France, and slowly learns about the Tourniers that came before her. But there is a huge gap between what she learns and what she seemingly knows at the end of the book. Did all of that come to her in a dream? Did she pick it up somewhere off the page?

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And how did she know where Marie was buried?

It gets very messy at the end. A lot happens. People don't seem to act the way I think they would.

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For instance, why does Lucien help her vandalize an old building when he barely knows her, even if he does have a crush on her?

Overall, I was underwhelmed. I almost gave up early in and I should have.

It has similar flavour as Tracy Chevalier's other books but don't isn't quite as great. Still is a good book and I liked that we looked at two different women through time but I wasn't mesmerized by the story and I didn't quite like the end with Ella.

This novel tells the story of two women, Isabelle and Ella, that share blood line but live centuries apart. Ella recently moved to France from the USA, following her husband who was relocated for his job. Knowing that she has French lineage, she wants to learn more about her past. A slightly grumpy though helpful librarian Jean-Paul assists Ella and Ella feels the lure of her French friend. Many years ago, Isabelle married someone not for love because the villagers called her La Rouse based on her red hair. They think that she's a witch of some sort. Her husband's family doesn't approve but has no choice to relent because Isabelle is pregnant. The family is chased out of their home and Isabelle's light becomes tough while she deals with a new village and an abusive husband.

I have read a few Chevalier novels before but hadn't read one for a few years. I'm happy to get back to her because I get completely wrapped up in her story telling. This story was more depressing than the others that I have read of hers but that didn't bother me.

There were some issues at the end where what the characters were doing didn't make too much sense to me based on what I had come to know about them. Despite this, I still enjoyed this novel and I'm looking forward to reading some of Chevalier's other works.

This novel is a historical romance interwoven with a family mystery. The narration alternates between the story of Isabelle “La Rousse” Moulin in 1600s France, and her modern-day ancestor, Ella Turner in a small town outside Toulouse. The novel attempts to explore the connection between the past and the present, with a twist on the old Greek motif that a son inherits the sins of his father. In this case, the sin is passed on from mother to daughter. Whenever a member of the Tournier family (which Isabelle married into) becomes pregnant, they start having dreams of a special blue hue that during the Renaissance was reserved for artists painting the Virgin Mary. It is to figure out the story behind this blue that sets Ella on the path to discover her family’s past.

This novel is very visual in nature, being plotted around the particular blue of the virgin’s robe, which also appears in the dreams of Tournier women. It is told in alternating points of view from Ella and Isabelle, each chapter leaving with a cliffhanger to keep the reader longing to find out what happens next. Although Ella’s life and Isabelle’s tend to mirror each other with their feelings of alienation, the reader can assume that Ella’s life ends on a happy note, while Isabelle’s is much more somber. However, the ending is left open, which is very disappointing, and a bit confusing. It is ultimately up to the reader to decide on the fates of the two women.

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