Much like a glass of sparkling, The Champagne War has emotions that bubble to the top and a tart twist at the end.
The summer of 1914 was a whirlwind of emotions for Sophie Delancré when she married strapping Jerome Méa. When he is called off to war and is later announced missing, presumed dead, Sophie pushes through her emotions and flings herself into producing a vintage from her wedding vineyard in memory of her marriage.
Three years later, the deadliest battle of the war brings a flood of mangled soldiers to Sophie’s makeshift hospital. Severely injured British Captain Charlie Nash enters her life and Sophie is caught between Nash, her husband’s memory, and a shady brother-in-law who will do anything to get what he wants, including blackmailing family.
The Champagne War appears to be thoroughly researched with Fiona McIntosh depicting a remarkably vivid impression of the Champagne region during World War I. Her understanding and ability to describe battlefield logistics to the layman show the extent of her analysis of the wartime. Any history buff would enjoy the facts about the poison gas used by the German army and the changes of the French farmland post-war despite being tucked next to a bit of romance.
As the Acknowledgement section of the book states, most of the details of the time are factually correct, but there was an allowance for imagination for the sake of the story. It would seem that one of the creative liberties taken was Captain Charlie Nash’s ability to speak three languages, as it is too convenient.
In the most chaotic battle of the Captain’s life he comes face to face with an injured, enemy solider. Despite the high-pressure situation, Charlie quickly befriends the German solider by conjuring up the German that he learned during his school days. When he is later found completely disoriented, he speaks French effortlessly. He even gallantly wins over Sophie in French by discussing complex topics such as the personality of her grapes and the fermentation of champagne.
The ease and confidence at which Charlie can speak languages is an enviable skill. As anyone who has visited a different country and tried to ask for directions in a foreign tongue knows, it is extremely difficult to have the confidence, vocabulary, and understanding to get your point across in the best of times. As The Champagne War is historical fiction, Charlie’s multilingual abilities may just be a convenient embellishment.
McIntosh creates a feminist homage to the strong women that upheld the towns in World War I. Sophie Delancré is powerful, determined, and value-driven. She has made a promise to keep the wine flowing for France and that is what she will do.
Though Sophie does receive assistance from her male counterparts throughout the story, it feels as if she is always in control. When her brother-in-law insists that he can fix her sugar woes, Sophie sidesteps his manipulation with grace and regains her position of strength with a backup plan. Although Charlie suggests a potential solution for the fermentation, only Sophie can be the hero and see the idea to fruition.
A far cry from the helpless maidens depicted in traditional love stories who are saved by their knight in shining armour, Sophie Delancré is a strong female character, a concept that is not shown often enough in historical fiction but is ever present in real life.
Reviewed by Alessa Young
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: November 2020
RRP: $32.99
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