Léon and Louise

July 23, 2012
In the summer of 1918, in the French village of Saint-Luc-sur-Marne, during WWI, Léon Le Gall is experiencing love for the first time, falling for Louise Janvier when she passes by on her “old gentleman’s” bicycle. The two grow close, but they are caught in artillery fire and separated, each presuming the other dead. Ten years later, Léon is living in Paris, married to another woman, and raising a four-year-old child. Though he is committed to his new responsibilities, a glimpse of Louise at a train station one day creates a dilemma: to do what he should or to do what he wants? Swiss author Capus (A Matter of Time) is an apt storyteller who captures the complexities of love and the hardships of everyday life with a keen eye. On its surface, this is a story about enduring love. But it is also about the way that power can be abused, particularly in times of war, and the daily sacrifices people make to preserve what they hold most dear.

November 1, 2012

The very title linking a man's and a woman's names suggests a passionate romance. Yet except for two brief encounters, the eponymous heroes of the novel spend almost no time together till later life. At the beginning of their story we follow the early years of Leon Le Gall, who collects found objects washed up by the tide near Cherbourg, France. When he first meets Louise Janvier, the two seem destined to remain at arm's length. And even after they finally experience a night of love, they are quickly parted by a German bomb that explodes close to them during a battle late in World War I. Ten years later they meet by chance in Paris, where again they spend less than a day together. At Louise's insistence, they meet no more until they are well into middle age. Only then do they settle into a routine of daily contact despite the existence of Leon's wife and children. VERDICT Swiss novelist Capus (A Matter of Time), ably translated by Brownjohn, achieves a quiet intensity that carries readers along, though most of the events recounted here--including the Nazi German occupation of Paris--are quite familiar. A fine choice for lovers of sophisticated historical fiction with the feel of memoir.--Edward Cone, New York

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
A century before the Internet and online dating, young men and women met the way they do in the opening scenes of Capus' engaging tale set in the French village of Saint-Luc-sur-Marne during World War I. L'on Le Gall is smitten with comely Louise Janvier the moment he sees her riding her rickety bicycle through town. The two begin spending their days together and are soon inseparable. A short time later, they're caught in artillery fire. Each presumes the other is dead. Ten years later, L'on is living in Paris, a devoted husband with a four-year-old child. Louise, however, is never far from his mind. When he catches a glimpse of her at the train station, a conflict of conscience ensues. Should he stay faithful to his wife and family or follow his heart? He's tempted to do the latter, as his marriage has grown stale, and his job is driving him mad. Against the brutal backdrop of war, Capus renders a powerful tale of love lost and found.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)