222 pages / 5 hours, 56 minutes
The story is set in Paris, France in the 1860's. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, hundreds of houses are being razed and whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes in order to modernize the city. Rose Bazelet, a fifty-nine-year-old widow, is determined to record her final thoughts and feelings as the destruction goes on around her.
It is a book of reflection and reminiscing that many readers may find a bit dreary. I'm not entirely sure why it fascinated me. I enjoyed the historical references and even stopped to read a timeline of 1800's France. Rose is a strong woman who loves with her whole heart and enjoys the beauty around her. The house has been her husband's family home for generations and represents the best parts of her life. She decides she would rather not live without her home, but will she change her mind when the demolition crew arrives?
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