Kate Hamilton's mother, who insists Kate calls her Antoinette, asks her to travel to France to handle a family matter. She is to persuade her aging and ailing grandfather to sell Madeleine Marie, his ivy covered villa ancestral home in the South of France. For three generations, it has stood proudly overlooking the sea and he refuses to leave it. For 14 years, Kate was packed off to spend her summers with her grandfather and her memories of their time together are warm and loving. She returns to a crumbling mess, rife with repairs needing to be done yesterday, and debts grandfather can no longer afford to pay. Grandfather refuses to sell and will not move. Now, what is Kate to do?

In America, Kate is a therapist, now fashionably called a life coach. Her life is a certifiable mess. Divorced, her teenager daughter is away at school and refuses to speak to her, she does not have a clue as to how she will handle this family matter. A neighbor and long time friend of her grandfather introduces her to a British military friend, Major Edward Soames, who is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome and asks her to "coach" him. Edward is my favorite character. His bluntness, honesty, and directness bring out both his feelings and Kate's, which was a delight. They fought hard for truth and honesty and succeeded in removing the masks they each were hiding behind. I adored Edward and wanted a happily ever after for him and Kate.

WHISPERING IN FRENCH is a sweet journey about family, healing, and second chances with a cast of colorful characters that will delight. I enjoyed the wildlife in the hedges, their whispers from the garden. They made me smile. It is very evident that author, Sophia Nash, knows and loves this locale. This beautiful rugged seaside location and her description of Les Trois Couronnes, that unusual mountain peak on the French-Spanish border would be worth the climb, methinks. This is a great read, an adventure, and a new author to follow, perhaps with a sequel? Merci beaucoup, Ms. Nash, I loved it!