A Northern Light in Provence by Elizabeth Birkelund is a novel set in Greenland and France. It follows the journey of the protagonist from Greenland to France. Some of the descriptions in this book are quite beautiful. The book does a good job exploring the meaning of home. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I read this over a long period of time during a lull in being deeply absorbed in a fiction title. it was a little bit like watching a French Canadian film…the
quirky characters are not relatable at first but become winning over time. The translation profession has always intrigued me both real and metaphorical. I liked the ending as it felt unpredictable and just right. I live in a mostly sunny climate in a city I don’t like at all so I was attuned to appreciate the joy of sun washed days and how it subsumes. Provence was so well written glad attachment to place in a deep way is still a literary sell. The characters were all well drawn. The scene where the house becomes unmoored is cinematic. I think this story and many themes will stay with me and I can’t say why it felt so slow going..not sure if that was the intention..at least 4 stars

This was a DNF for me. Too many exclamation points and too many big reveals happening oddly quickly. I did like the premise of the setting in Greenland as that was a new for me but otherwise couldn’t connect to the story.

A Northern Light in Provence is a beautifully tender love story, but so much more than that. It's empathetic yet fantastical, charming yet heartbreaking as we watch the main character go through so many emotions to not only discover herself, but to find her true way in life, release her fears and find happiness, something I think we can agree is what we all truly are looking for.

Ilse Erlund is a book translator who lives in Greenland. She lives in a very small town, loves her little house, her cat and loves her job, although her parents are not happy with her decision of career, but tries to ignore them. Although she could do without the bitter cold winters, she feels she has a pretty good life.

She knows her publisher takes advantage of her because she just never learned to say no or ask for what she wants or needs, like extra time or extra money. Her goal in life is to try and make everybody happy. Also, she fears they will fire her. Not because they really will, but because she thinks they will.

When the publisher gives her a new assignment, one she is not sure she is capable of doing, everything changes. She is requested to translate poems in French, a language she knows well. The poet is Geoffrey "Po" Labaye and he is revered. She is excited yet nervous and feels she can't do this alone without his guidance. So, she boldly asks if she could go to France, meet with him so he can assist with the translation. To her shock, he agrees.

Thus begins Ilse's journey of a lifetime which will unknowingly change her in more ways than she could imagine. Once there and meeting Po, a wonderful old soul who takes her under his wing where she becomes his muse to him, her teacher. When his son, Frey suddenly appears, that too will change Isle's life in another way. Between the splendor of the setting, dear people she has befriended, she's not sure she ever wants to go home.

As Ilse battles tough decisions, she begins to realize there is so much more to life with family, friends, and love. She may have always just taken these for granted. As she finds her voice, she feels the strength begin to feed her, just as her love of the French food and wine did. Just as Po and his merry band of friends did. But it's time to go home. She has changed. What does that mean? Who is she now?

A Northern Light in Provence is so much more than just a love story between two people. It's a story about loss, reconnecting, growing, losing and finding one's voice, not just on paper but in life. That is really home.

Thank you #NetGalley #Ballentine/RandomHouse #ElizabethBirkelund #ANorthernLightinProvence for the advanced copy.

Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse and the author for the gifted copy of the e-book and to @prhaudio for the free audiobook.

This was a beautifully written book. Ilse Lund is a translator living on the west coast of Greenland. She convinces her publisher to pay for a trip to France to translate the verses of an elderly poet named Geoffrey Labaye. When she arrives in a medieval village in Provence, she falls in love with the place and develops a strong relationship with the poet. They develop a daily rhythm, but their camaraderie is disturbed when the poet’s son arrives and starts showing interest in her. Now she must figure out where her future lies.

The combination of the book and the audio was truly captivating. The narrator skillfully drew me into the story with their performance. The author's vivid descriptions of France and Greenland were absolutely stunning. The bond that formed between Ilse and the poet was truly moving. The inclusion of the French language, articulated by the narrator, truly brought the book to life.

This is a story of self-discovery as a woman explores the beauty of Provence. If you are a fan of romantic novels set in Provence, this book is a must-read!

4⭐️out of 5 for Birkelund’s A Northern Light in Provence. I loved the plot, setting, and character development.

Ilse lives in Greenland in an isolated, dilapidated house on stilts basically falling into the ocean. She translates books into French but has never been there. When she is asked to translate The Poet’s works from Provençal, she gets to go to Provence and work with him. Ilse falls further in love with France and the French lifestyle.

Thank you to the author, Random House-Ballantine, and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a great escape read, especially when you want to travel but aren't able to. The vivid settings come
to life as our main character Ilse leaves Greenland to go to France and we tag along for the roller coaster of emotions that arise during her journey. Perfect summer reading!

I love novels set in Europe, and this one seems amazing!

From GR:
A woman leaves her coastal Greenland village to translate the works of an elderly Provençal poet and finds her life irrevocably changed in this tender and romantic novel set in a French village.

Ilse Lund is a translator who lives in a house on stilts along the west coast of Greenland. Isolated in her world by the sea, and restless, she convinces her publisher to pay for a trip to the country she has never visited but whose language she speaks fluently—France. Her to translate the verses of Geoffrey Labaye, an elderly poet known as “the last living troubadour of Provence.”

Upon arrival in the medieval hilltop village of Beau Rivière, Ilse falls under the spell of the Provençal way of life--and the charming French poet. She becomes captive to the air, the sun, the vibrant spring colors, and the dulcet sounds of the Provençal dialect. And soon enough, Ilse is captive to the poet, too, as she and Labaye develop a daily rhythm, about words and much else. Their warm camaraderie is disturbed, however, when the poet’s son Frey shows up. Though he has a fiancée back in Paris, Frey turns his attention on Ilse, and suddenly she is forced to learn another language, one her translation skills have not prepared her to decode. With whom and where does her future lie?

With an eye and ear attuned to the sensibilities of French life, Elizabeth Birkelund has created a love story about a woman forced to choose between the security of her quiet northern home and possibly the life of her dreams.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. My review rating is based on the summary of this book.

So lovely. I really can't say enough about this book. The author's writing and her descriptions capture you and pull you into her beautiful story and you can actually feel Ilse's excitement on coming to France - it's palpable. The plot is very nicely written with well rounded characters. It's truly an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this bool. I loved the characters, the setting, and the character development. I felt like I was there with the descriptions of everything. I would recommend this book.

The story begins with lse Erlund, a native Greenlander of Inuit, English and Danish heritage, living in a small house on stilts along the sea cottage in Greenland north of the Artic Circle. It is extremely cold with frequent downpours and bitter winds. Ise dismisses the harsh weather whenever she is viewing the northern lights and rainbows, watching whales, or translating books from English to French or French to English. She receives praise for her work except from her Inuit relatives that consider her a traitor and risking the wrath of the Moon Man. Her parents worry that she will leave her village as soon as she has enough money to travel.

She is given an assignment to translate a collection of poems in just over 2 months. Ilse convinces her publisher to send her to Provence for two weeks so she can meet with the poet to better understand his feelings and thoughts. Needless to say, the south of France is a major culture shock for her.

I loved that the book is filled with poetry. The author does an excellent developing the characters and a surprise ending.

My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Hmm, this one was just not for me. I gave it 2 stars and I’m surprised I finished it.

A vague review: The writing in some places was beautiful, and in other places choppy and unsure. The characters weren’t developed enough to be likable. The plot was original but rushed and lacked feeling (other than some forced emotion).

A spoiler/specific review: wait what? Sure, I guess she was in love with Beluga the whole time, but that was a pretty uneventful and quick turnaround. Also pretty quick? Her falling for Frey. And him falling for her and everything that followed for him. The only thing that felt good was Ilse’s relationship with the Poet.

Reading about Greenland was pretty cool, but I just didn’t love this one. Didn’t even really like it. Sorry!

Ilse is a translator from Greenland who has always been enamored with France but has never been. Stuck and tried of the way her life is going she convinces her editor to send her to France to work with the author of her newest translation. I really liked the little glimpses into life in Greenland. It seems like such an unknown place and I've never read a book where this place is featured. I also loved the time we as readers get to spend in the French country side and wished I could walk through that tunnel. I like getting to see Ilse to come into her own. The ending did feel like a bit of a let down. Her world is a bit bigger now and it seems like she will get to travel more for work but I just felt like Greenland is not really a place where she has thrived for awhile now and I wanted better for her regardless of who she ended up with.

DNF @ 17%

I wanted to love this book. I expected something like Under the Tuscan Sun or The Memory of Lavender and Sage. Vibey, romantic, magical, etc. This was not that. I didn't even make it out of of the Greenland portion of the book.

I don't have any feelings towards the main character or any interest in seeing what happens. I felt like everything I read was very choppy and all over the place. There were also so many details about random things I don't think were necessary.

I hate DNFing books, but there are too many books to be read for me to continue on with something that is not interesting to me.

A woman in her thirties, living in Greenland, translates French books... however she has never actually been to France! Ilse is given the chance to translate the work of a renowned French poet, and in accepting the job, she finds herself headed to the French countryside to immerse herself in the words and life of the poet. Her time in France keeps getting extended and she comes to a point where she needs to make choices that will change her life forever.

A Northern Light in Provence was not a fast read for me, the pace felt quite slow, which I think works for the most part given it's a book about a woman translating poetry! Though I did enjoy it, it may not be for everyone. I'm thinking it should be recommended to the reader who can appreciate a slow read, poetry, and a story of finding ones self.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a translator in Greenland who travels to France to work with a poet to translate his final works. While most people in Greenland speak English and Danish in addition to Greenlandic, Ilse is also fluent in French.

She takes a huge chance with her publisher and asks to be sent to France to work with the poet to better understand the nuance and subtlety of his words and the language. Much like in The Wizard of Oz, the world blooms into technicolor the moment Ilse arrives in Provence. She's surrounded by warmth and color and scents and flavors she's only read about.

The language and phrasing is just gorgeous. I loved Ilse's journey and how language and words and experience form and change her. This is a book to savor.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

A sweet story set in a small village in France. It ended up being a sweeter story than I thought it be.

This lyrically written book is truly unique in the author’s ability to paint such detailed pictures of the dual settings, as well as feature the depth of emotions of the main character. Ilse is a translator, living in Greenland, translating French books into Danish and English. When Ilse gets the opportunity to leave her cold, wet home to translate a famous poets work in the Luberon area of Provence, filled with warmth and color, Ilse jumps at the opportunity. The poet’s work is renowned, and Ilse becomes close to him as she tries to find words reflecting his troubadour style. I loved the book and highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Elizabeth Berklund's novel A Northern Light in Provence published last week, so I'm a little behind on posting this review. However, there's still time for you to purchase this book or check it out from your library before summer reading season!

The synopsis: Ilse lives in Greenland in a rickety old cottage by the sea where she works as a translator of novels. She can speak other languages, although she's never actually been to any of the places whose languages she speaks!

She's been translating a novel from French to English when her editor asks her to translate a book of poetry from Provencal to English. Ilse agrees and finds the courage to ask for a little more: money and a two-week trip to Provence in France to meet with the poet. It'll help her translations, after all.

And her editor agrees! So off Ilse goes, leaving behind rainy and cold Greenland for the beautiful flowers and sunshine in France.

How will meeting the poet influence Ilse's future? Will she find what or who she needs in France? Or will she make her way back to Greenland? You'll have to read the novel to find out!

Honestly, it took me awhile to get into this novel, and even once I did, I found a certain part of it to be predictable and underdeveloped. But in a way, it needed to be underdeveloped in order to make Ilse's final decision that much easier.

This novel will definitely satisfy your wanderlust, whether it makes you want to visit France or take a trip to Greenland! The author actually went to Greenland to research the novel!

Sad, beautiful, and romantic.

(Not, I think, a Romance.)

The love story here is really between the translator and her Poet – at times she wonders if its romantic or sexual, but ultimately decides its not – as well as the translator and Provence, and the translator and Greenland. Sure, there’s a love triangle of sorts between the translator and the poet’s son and her childhood best friend, but ultimately, that plot is secondary to the journey of self-discovery, exploration of words and food and wine, grief and memory, family and tradition. Come for the sun-drenched scenes of the translator and the Poet sitting beneath an olive tree in a Provençal vineyard, drinking Ricard and talking about the intimacies of language, stay for the homey pub on the wind-swept shores of Oqaatsut, where glaciers floating by are better than any TV could ever be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.