Holy Fools - Joanne Harris

[Maureen]

About the Author

Author: Joanne Harris

ISBN 0-552-77001-9

Publisher: Doubleday

First Published: 2003

384pages

 

I took this book with me on holiday this week, and quite enjoyed it. However, having read Chocolat already, I found that this book is quite similar. The characters both travel and have no fixed house, both are single parents (to a daughter) and both dabble in cures/medicines/herbs. They are similar in other less obvious ways as well. This was disappointing to me as I have not had any time to read recently, and was looking forward to a long awaited treat - and so would have preferred a totally "new" storyline. However, having said that, I devoured the book in 3 or 4 evenings, as it is very easy to read and quite relaxing. The story is set in seventeenth - century France, and I quite enjoyed the brief historical descriptions of that era.

Would not describe it as a sensational book, but as an enjoyable one.

[Janet]

I don't tend to read historical novels, but I do enjoy Joanne Harris. Maybe I'll get this to try, seeing as I read Chocolat such a long time ago. They've got numerous copies of this secondhand in our local Bookbarn for about

[Maureen]

if you have not read Chocolat recently, you should enjoy it. I don't like historical novels either, in this book some history is mentioned as background - enough so that you can appreciate the mood at the time (witch craft fear etc) but it is not really "part and parcel" of the story.