"IF YOU'VE never been to la Fontenelle you've never seen spring at its best-not the over-ripe, blousy spring that tumbles into bloom after three days of warm sunshine, but the quiet, persistent, invincible spring that begins at the end of February, when the winter-cold is still in the ground and in the air, and which, slowly, imperceptibly, in the face of all odds of weather and apparent opportunity, takes possession of the countryside. First the lower meadows near the river become more vividly green, then unexpected primroses and violets come to bloom in hidden corners while you are still huddling over fires and blowing your fingers warm. Against the tawny walls of old farmhouses, wet with winter rains, you find a little fruit tree gay with pink or white blossom; the rolling meadows on the higher lands are suddenly carpeted in short new grass, and the winter wheat is green-growing in the fields between untrimmed hedges before you know it. No day seems to bring a change, but by the time April is drawing to a chill, reluctant close, the whole country is in full beauty, the hedgerows laced with the white may, the apple trees in the lanes heavy with bloom, and the birds singing in full confidence of the summer to come."
From Once There was a Village
By Katharine Dunlap · 1941
I loved the understanding, found in this quote, of Spring coming again, the bitterness of winter does not prevail.
This is the beginning of a delightful novel I found at my library.
When I read the beginning of this novel, quoted above, I above knew immediately that I wanted to read on! A poignant beautiful description of a village in France leading up to WWII.
You meet a brother and sister who live in an old stone house in a small French village and the story swoops you up in it's well-written tale, all the while going towards WWII...
If you enjoy vintage fiction, WWII era fiction, women authors, and a well written novel this one is delightful!
