Amber Beads and a Blue Dress

Set against the dramatic backdrop of a French Alpine village the lives of two women, each with a troubled past, draw together. Angèle became pregnant during the horrifying final months of World War Two whilst living in southern France near the Spanish border. Marie was unfaithful to her husband, Gerard, while he was away fighting in the Algerian war in 1957, resulting in the birth of a daughter, Sophie.
When Gerard returns home he is heartbroken to discover Marie’s infidelity and initially leaves her, returning to his family home in a small hamlet high on the mountain. Throughout the story his forgiving nature and generosity of spirit shine through. He becomes a much respected figure in the community.
Marie is ridden with guilt in subsequent years as she tries to repair her marriage. Eventually, Sophie discovers the truth about her parentage. When she is eighteen, she sets out on a journey of discovery to find her father in England.
It is not until Angèle’s son, Philippe, is an adult that she finds the courage to return to Languedoc, facing her past and at last telling him the story of his birth. She revisits her old home with surprising results.