Review of Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg

If you know nothing about how Champagne is made, or its history, then you can’t do better than to pick up this book. The painstaking and long process from choosing the right blend of grape to crushing and fermenting s described in intricate detail. Madame Pommery herself is a force of nature – a woman struggling in a man’s world, a woman who just won’t give up in her quest to convert the people to her new and drier taste of Champagne. Not content with retiring after her husband’s death Madame Pommery is determined to make a success of her husband’ Louis’ wine business, despite having to take care of her small children.

This is not as straightforward as it sounds, for just as she is about to launch her creation on the world, France is taken over by the Prussians and she must endure an occupation that ruins her fledgling business, and also puts all their lives at risk. The description of how it feels to be in this position is extremely well done – the powerlessness and rage. Later in the novel Madame Pommery discovers that the rubbish dump which covers the local lime pits, also covers miles of tunnels. These tunnels are ideal for storing her newly-minted wine. These cellars were the right temperature for storing her wine, and I believe many other wineries followed suit. Not only are the underground tunnels the answer to her storage problem, but also she uses them to house rebels and partisans. There is a gripping scene where they are discovered and the resisters are almost buried alive. Eventually she commissions a local sculptor to carve a frieze inside these cellars, the ‘Fete du Bacchus’, thus turning them into a sensational tourist attraction.

Throughout the novel, the characters are well-drawn, with several of Madame’s lovers and friends forming strong contrasts to her single-minded ambition. Her children too are true individuals, and even Felix the matagot – the pet that has a mind of its own. Rebecca Rosenberg has done immense amounts of research to bring the setting of 19th Century France alive with convincing amounts of detail. For those who love French history or the 19th Century this is very definitely a five star read and I recommend it without hesitation.

Thank you to the author and the Coffee Pot Book Club for this excellent book.

ABOUT MADAME POMMERY

EDITORS CHOICE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

“A-Tour-de-Force” Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize

MADAME POMMERY, Creator of Brut Champagne

“A tour-de-force of historical fiction, Madame Pommery is a deeply fascinating work that blends true-to-life details with artfully crafted elements.” –Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize

Madame Pommery is a story of a woman’s indomitable spirit in the face of insurmountable odds. Set in Champagne, France in 1860, Madame Pommery is a forty-year-old widow and etiquette teacher whose husband has passed away. Now she must find a way to support her family. With no experience, she decides to make champagne, but no champagne makers will teach her their craft. Undeterred, Madame Pommery begins to secretly excavate champagne caves under the Reims city dump and faces numerous obstacles to achieve her dream. From the Franco-Prussian war that conscripts her son and crew to the Prussian General Frederick Franz occupying her home, Madame Pommery perseveres. She even must choose between her champagne dreams and a marriage proposal from her former lover, a Scottish Baron. Inspired by a true story, Madame Pommery is a heroic tale of a woman’s strength and determination to create a champagne legacy.

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