While Tracy Chevalier may be most well known for her novel turned film, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” her debut work, “The Virgin Blue,” is actually far superior to her more popular works. Set in 16th century Switzerland and present day France, Chevalier creates a story that weaves together intriguing characters and suspenseful plotlines, which result in a compelling and emotional novel that will have you hooked from the start.
Modern day Ella Turner moves to Toulouse, France with her husband, Rick, after his career requires them to relocate. Rick, an easygoing Californian, complete with blond ponytail and bronzy tan, fits in surprisingly well in their new quaint life in the smaller village of Lisle-sur-Tarn. Ella, however, does not have as much success.
Still struggling to learn the language and trying to pass the necessary exams to continue her vocation of being a midwife in France, Ella feels lost and alone in their new home. It doesn’t help matters that she is still viewed as an outsider amid the townspeople – being shunned by the local women and business people because of her American idiosyncrasies and habits.
Despite the difficulties of starting a new life in a new country, Ella is optimistic that her situation will improve. Until, that is, she begins having unsettling dreams about French psalms and distant relatives. Her nights are haunted with the most vivid blue color she has ever seen — something that would be beautiful and intriguing if it weren’t for the unknown and haunting origins.
Her dreams escalate until she can no longer ignore the mysterious scenes and she resolves to find out more about her French ancestors — a journey which will lead her to Jean-Paul, a man who is unlike her husband in every way. Soon she begins questioning everything about her life in France, her relationship with her husband, and especially, herself. Falling deeper and deeper into the search for her ancestors, Ella is ultimately led into a search for herself, discovering more than she ever expected.
Intertwined with the present day story of Ella Turner is the tumultuous history of her ancestor Isabelle du Moulin, who flees France to escape Catholic persecution for a safer home in Switzerland. She endures a cruel mother-in-law, insensitive husband and an unfamiliar country all while trying to be the foundation of her now broken family. Her tale ends with a horrific but engrossing chain of events that finally links her to descendent Ella.
One of the most enthralling features of Chevalier’s writing is her ability to intertwine these two plotlines in a way that doesn’t allow the reader to guess at anything. She reveals only what is necessary to the reader in order to further the suspense and the building of emotional investment in the plot and characters.
The danger of revealing too much and giving away the story, that often traps writers of historical fiction, is not a problem for Chevalier as she expertly weaves together these two distinct plotlines. Through its twists and turns, there is always something new to be found in this novel, making it more than worthy of taking up residence on your library shelves.