The Lost Vintage

A Novel

By: Ann Mah

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this pause-resisting novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy and unexpectedly uncovers a lost diary, an unknown relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II.

To become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world, Kate must pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine examination. She’s failed twice before; her third attempt will be her last chance. Suddenly finding herself without a job and with the test a few months away, she travels to Burgundy to spend the fall at the vineyard estate that has belonged to her family for generations. There she can bolster her shaky knowledge of Burgundian vintages and reconnect with her cousin Nico and his wife, Heather, who now oversee day-to-day management of the grapes. The one person Kate hopes to avoid is Jean-Luc, a talented young winemaker and her first love.

At the vineyard house, Kate is eager to help her cousin clean out the enormous basement that is filled with generations of discarded and forgotten belongings. Deep inside the cellar, behind a large armoire, she discovers a hidden room containing a cot, some Resistance pamphlets, and an enormous cache of valuable wine. Piqued by the secret space, Kate begins to dig into her family’s history - a search that takes her back to the dark days of World War II and introduces her to a relative she never knew existed, a great-half-aunt who was a teenager during the Nazi occupation.

As she learns more about her family, the line between resistance and collaboration blurs, driving Kate to find the answers to two crucial questions: Who, exactly, did her family aid during the difficult years of the war? And what happened to six valuable bottles of wine that seem to be missing from the cellar’s collection?

©2018 Ann Mah (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

“If you enjoyed my Sarah’s Key and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, then this wonderful book by Ann Mah is for you.” (Tatiana de Rosnay, author)

Passion of Nightingale with an education on wine

Beautifully and passionately written, a historical glimpse of life in Burgundy in the present, tied to the horrors of the past. The lasting beauty of the wine
connecting the two. Great narration also!

Great book

Great book for those who like historical fiction and appreciate wine. Good length and narration.

Terrific Story!

if you love wine, or history, or incredible vineyards rolling across the landscape......you will LOVE this book! I cannot wait to revisit the wine country and its stories!

easy and interesting historical fiction novel

easy and interesting historical fiction novel that tells a vivid romantic story while solving a great family mystery.

Enjoyable historical fiction

This is exactly the type of hysterical fiction I enjoy. I learned a bit of history and about a subject that I’m not well versed in: Wine. It had solid characters with an interesting story line. The relationships were realistic and there was a love interest, but not overshadowing the whole story. Definitely liked it and would recommend.

Interesting history

The story itself is excellent, but, as I speak no French, I found so many terms in that language distracting. Generally well-drawn characters and decent pace, however.

French Burgundy Vineyard

This was a wonderful story. I felt it was true to life in those times. There was happiness and sadness, loyalty and treachery. A good mystery. I couldn’t put it down. The reader did a terrific job and added to the book. I highly recommend it.

Loved it. I just visited France

I bought this book on a whim. Not sure why. But I went back and read the description I was wondering how interested I was going to be in a book with wine as its main promise. It had a great story. I was so interested in how they were finding little family secrets and the lives of the current-day characters. Very interesting to hear about life in occupied France. little sad that the story is done, but also happy I'm not falling into another series as I seem to go from series to series. Will look for other books by this author.

enjoyed it to the very last drop

The story and the narration were amazing. I couldn't stop listening. I love how the storyline intertwined the past and present.

A must read

I was skeptical about this book, at first. I usually listen to true stories about WWII.
This story was well told and although fiction, it was believable.
The reader was outstanding. The voices of the characters made the story that much more enjoyable.
I listen on my way to and from work, I found myself walking in the office late, as I eager to hear what happened next!
Enjoy.