Flatiron Books, November 29, 2016.
Four Stars
To Capture What
We Cannot Keep is a historical romance set against
the backdrop of the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1887. Caitriona is a
widow working as a chaperone, who travels to Paris with her two young charges –
a wealthy brother and sister who have come to Europe to gain experience before marriage.
Cait is supposed to be helping Alice meet eligible bachelors, but when they are
introduced to Emile Nouguier, engineer and co-designer of the tower, he is more
interested in Cait.
Emile and Caitriona first meet in a whimsical scene,
travelling over Paris by hot air balloon. They are living in a revolutionary
time, filled with contrasts – while Cait feels compelled to follow the
traditional lifestyle of a widowed woman, she is also intrigued by the bohemian
world she finds herself in. The novel asks questions about class and gender,
and whether the constraints of either one can be overcome.
Caitriona and her young companions experience the glamour
and intrigue of 19th century Paris, but they also witness the dark
underbelly of the city, including its brothels and opium dens. It was
fascinating to read about the details of art and society, and especially the
construction of the Eiffel Tower, which I did not know much about. And even
with all this historical information, it never felt overwhelming – the facts
were always presented as a natural part of the story.
I wasn’t completely captivated by any of the characters,
and the love story fell flat (although I did like the imperfect ending), but
what made this book so enjoyable is the beautiful setting – Colin truly
captured the excitement and innovation of the era. I loved reading about the
rise of the Impressionists and the great strides in architecture – everything is
so novel and thrilling. The Eiffel Tower was the largest manmade structure at
the time, and Emile’s character passionately describes the intricacies of its
engineering techniques.
This novel has a slow, quiet pace, and yet it manages
to confront some really important issues of morality, creating conflict between
the characters. They feel compelled to fit into the constraints of the time
period, even though they are trying to change society’s rules – especially Caitriona,
who is stronger than she seems at first. If you’re looking for an intelligent,
thoughtful romance novel, this is it – and you might learn a few things while
you’re at it.
I received this book from Flatiron Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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