“Not enough time . . .Evil lurked on the horizon, prowling like a hungry lion. Tonight Gabrielle would prepare for the unthinkable.”
The unthinkable being a Nazi force overrunning her vineyard and stealing the champagne her family has been producing for the last two hundred years. Gabrielle’s father had never recovered from the wounds the Germans inflicted on him during World War I, and she has no intention of losing his legacy to the Germans in a second conflict. But the stakes are even higher than that. She must also protect her sister, mother, and grandmother.
Gabrielle’s relatives have seen war before, and do not intend to stand idly by while Gabrielle protects them. Instead, they gather a set of the most unlikely weapons to defend against the invaders, and pray that God will guide their aim as he once did for a shepherd boy hurling a small stone toward a giant.
This book illustrates a truism often spoken in my family . . . Never get between a farmer and his (or her) dirt. Despite the title of vintner, at the base, this is a family of farmers. I grew up on a farm, and Ryan has captured the rhythm of farm life, the sense of legacy, and the love of the land. That love of their own fields easily expands to a love of their own country and a desire to defend it—even when the enemy has entrenched himself in their very home.
Perhaps especially when the enemy has taken over their home.
We are the LeBlanc women. The future of our people rests with us . . .It is our duty to fight.
I liked the way the author allowed each woman’s past to prepare her for the battle she would soon be facing. As widows, the LeBlanc women have known loss, and each has struggled to find her way in a world that did not want to allow women in its ranks. Gabrielle’s grandmother ran their champagne production and earned the grudging respect of the other vintners, all while preparing Gabrielle to take over.
Running a vineyard is one thing. Fighting a war is something else entirely. Or is it? Three women are going to work together to find out.
This book is currently available for preorder. Renee Ryan’s website lists places to reserve your copy now.