House of Daughters

by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Lonely Clementine is the rightful heir to the House of Peine, the vineyard that has been in the family for generations. She has spent her whole life caring for the vines, not to mention her sour brute of a father. But now the Peine patriarch is dead, and to Clementine’s distress his will stipulates that she must share the vineyard with a half-sister she hasn’t seen in twenty years and another she didn’t even know existed. Secrets tumble out as the three sisters struggle to rescue the family heritage while overcoming their own differences. As a precious blend of grapes, tears and triumph brings these estranged siblings together, readers will savor this heartfelt toast to sisterhood and inspired celebration of champagne.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, France, Romance, Wine, Book Club, Coming Of Age

299 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2006

About the author

Sarah-Kate Lynch is quite a cranky journalist of several decades who prefers making things up to recording them accurately. This is not very good if you are a journalist, which may explain (a) the crankiness and (b) why she now writes novels.

She also writes two columns in the New Zealand Woman's Day, New Zealand's best-selling weekly magazine. One is about nothing and the other is about travel.

Sarah-Kate lives in a cliff top house on the wild west coast of New Zealand's North Island with a lovely dog called Ginger and a husband called Ted. Oh, hang on, no, that's not right. The dog is called Ted and the husband is Ginger.

Reviews

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me want to live in a vineyard and make wine. The story of three accidental sisters from the House of Peine is an achingly sweet story about the power of a parent's presence (or in this case, absence) in a woman's life. It will break your heart, make you so mad you could spit and cry tears of laughter and joy. At the end you'll want to go to your local wine store for a case of their best champagne, wishing that you, too would discover that you are a sister in the House of Peine.

I love Sarah-Kate Lynch's books. If you like this one, read Blessed Are the Cheesemakers and By Bread Alone.

[Mindy Conde · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all honesty, I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It had been sitting at the bottom of my stack of library books for awhile – it just wasn’t really jumping out at me – but I’m glad I gave it a chance. Be warned though, after reading this book (and, lets face it, throughout reading it) you will have a serious craving for good champagne and pastries. And because whenever I think of good wine, sparkling or otherwise, I also want good cheese, I ended up craving that too.

In any case, this was a really fun read that tells the story of three sisters: Clementine, the eldest, loves everything about the family vineyard, House of Peine, and has run it for years with her aging, alcoholic father; Mathilde, the middle sister, grew up in America with her troubled mother but now leads a privileged life which she has trouble appreciating; and finally the youngest, and perhaps the most level-headed emotionally speaking, Sophie, who lived on the streets until she showed up at the House of Peine looking for a home, family, and stability. The death of their father brings them all together when the crotchety old man leaves them equal shares in the family home and vineyard – a sought-after parcel of land in the Champagne region of France that, while boasting a grand reputation and history, is a bit worse for the wear currently due to his continued drinking and self-destructive spiral.


The news that Clementine must share her inheritance not only with the half-sister that she has held a nearly twenty year grudge against, but also with yet another half-sister she didn’t even know existed, leaves her reeling. Her surly manner and anger at her father, not only for running the House of Peine nearly into the ground, but then leaving it to her sisters as well as to her, don’t make for the most ideal reunion when Mathilde and Sophie show up on the doorstep. What ensues is a lot of emotional outbursts and some serious pigheadedness. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, yes, they do act a bit immature, but I didn’t really have a problem with it. I think that there’s some truth in their situation – siblings at the best of times, have tendencies to revert back to their bickering days so I didn’t find it too outlandish that these sisters should do the same. At some points, they did take things a bit far, but anyone who has siblings know that they are sometimes the most tricky of relationships. No one else remembers your past screw-ups better than the person who grew up alongside you. Sometimes those old grudges are the most difficult to let go of. So were they dramatic and sometimes overly emotional? Yes. Was it understandable though? Yes, I think so. I think that it makes them more realistic characters for it. They aren’t always going to be nice and entertaining. Sometimes they will be annoying and try your patience. Just like real people; gee, go figure.

As expected there are some serious growing pains between these three very different women, and the journey to becoming a family is a long one; but, in the end things weave together nicely and aren’t the overly sappy type of resolutions that normally make me roll my eyes (minus one moment at the end that was kind of pushing it – the coincidence was a bit too huge and far-fetched – but besides that, we’re ok).

Overall I really enjoyed this book and was fully absorbed throughout. I like the characters and their interactions. I like the zany gypsies that come into the plot (a little magical realism and whimsy was a fun addition). And, mostly, I like the journeys that the characters take and their evolutions. It was a fun read that could have been trite and silly, but actually wasn’t. It was interesting, well-timed, and happily broke free of the one-dimensional chick-lit mold that so many of those stories succumb to. I would definitely recommend this one. Only problem is that now I seriously want to go to France.

[Del Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this book for quite some time before I finally picked it up to read. It did not disappoint. Loved the characters, humorous and heartwarming. Now craving a bottle of good champagne 😎

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light and entertaining read about the dysfunctional Peine sisters who reunite after the death of their father. I enjoyed learning some of the nuances of the craft of making champagne. However, the one part of the storyline that doesn’t make sense to me is George’s willingness to leave his young daughter in France with a mother who was incapable of the most basic parenting skills. The feel-good emotions that accompany the sisters’ learning more about themselves needed Edie in the mix, however Edie’s abrupt relocation from New York without her father doesn’t quite fit.

[Chris Hendrickx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tof boekje over 3 zussen die het château van hun vader erven. Je waant je in de Champagne streek. Dit kwam goed van pas, net nu in deze tijden van Corona crisis.

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 5 out of 5]

*LOVED IT*

Sarah-Kate Lynch has written many beautiful novels that center around not so much food, but a particular artisan and regional craft: By Bread Alone is about the sourdough breadmaking of France. Blessed Are the Cheesemakers tells the story of two old Irish cheesemakers in need of an heir for their business. And House of Daughters is about the champagne industry.

Three daughters inherit their father’s business although it is the eldest, Clementine, who has been running the vineyard and truly knows the most about growing, harvesting and bottling grapes for premier champagne. Where her bravado deserts her is in the blending—she lacks an inherent sense of taste and smell to determine which vintages to put together. However, her young niece has the gift. And there is this wonderful, magical scene where Clementine sits down with her niece, with samples of that year’s harvest in paper cups, and this young girl, this misfit creature who has always felt in the way and never good enough, she begins to smell, taste, differentiate, then work to find the words to communicate the sensations to her aunt, to group vintages together, to blend them. Little by little her confidence grows, she realizes she has a gift, she has a palate, she has a purpose…and she blooms like a grapevine.

[Jedimelinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set among the grape growing vineyards of France, the three sisters in this well-researched novel by Sarah-Kate Lynch clearly have issues. Quite frankly, sometimes their issues with each other can be hard to take -- but it's well worth it to get to the last page. Just as you would like to savor every drop of your favorite glass of champagne [since this tale revolves around champagne crafters, that is the beverage of choice here ;-) ], you will savor every word on every page. Lynch's tale is craftily spun, and it's clear she has a deep affection for sisters Clementine, Mathilde and Sophie, and daughter/niece Edie.
Happy Reading! :-)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I stuck with this one because I ended up liking it a whole lot more than my initial impression of it. It is the story of a winery in the Champagne region of France. The old, crotchety owner dies and leaves it to his three daughters--two of whom didn't even know about the existence of the third. The sisters don't get along, they're all damaged in different ways, but they are forced to learn to work together. The story is funny and warm and has a great message. I'm very glad I read it. Blessed Are the Cheesemakers by Lynch is one of my favorites, and this was right up there.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what it is, this book was pretty good. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, and learned a bit about making champagne. Sure, it's a light read. Good beach book, not something that makes me go "wow." But it was enjoyable, and avoided becoming stupid as so many of these books tend to do.

[Sherese · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous..I don't know a single woman as emotional as these three characters/sisters. It was like they were suffering from homornal imbalances. All the outburts, crying and carrying on was too much. The most level headed person is the 10 year old, that's sad.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too boring...Read about 100 pages and was just too slow so I gave up. Dialog was poor and didn't care for characters or the story.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable and forgettable. I didn't really like any of the main characters and wished that I hadn't wasted the time finishing the book.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story with a touch of humor and a happy ending. Great beach reading!

[Angela Heisey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A powerful message of how love can transform people.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about sisters, family, love, friendship, acceptance, and most importantly Champagne - Bubbly, rich, delicate, and delightful

Following the death of Olivier Piene, Clementine eventually has the previous House of Peine to herself, but does she?
First her sister Mathilde arrives and then Sophie; a sister neither of them knew about. They most come together if they want to make the House of Peine the House of Joy

When I first started this book I found Clementine quite cold and aggressive but throughout the book you can see why she acts like this but her true nature isn't like this at all. Mathilde, although an adult, has the attitude of 17 year old girl who thinks she can get whatever / whoever she wants and does not think of others. Sophie, the youngest, has never known true family and has lots of expectations when she firsts arrives at the house. She's more like Clementine than first expected and Mathilde does not like this.There wasn't a character I didn't like, they all have their flaws and that's what makes them them.

I was worried when I first started this book it was going to be full of drama and cat-fighting but it wasn't. The book is set of a year or so and gradually shows the sisters becoming family with the help of La Petite. The story felt natural and not at all rushed showing how relationships need time to grow, and in some cases heal.

Sarah-Kate Lynch is a fantastic author and you can see all the research she has put in to write this book. I almost felt I was learning about the wine and champagne making but everything is kept relevant to the main story.

If you want a summer read about love, friendship, and of course Champagne then give this a read.

P.S. I would love my own Cochon; he sounds amazingly cute!

[nima · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Bubbles. A characteristic of every bottle of good champagne. Also more telling than any futile attempt at finding similarities between the Peine sisters. Mathilde, Clementine, and Sophie are thrown together when their father suddenly passes away, leaving the Peine estate equally divided among the three of them. Come from different backgrounds, with barely anything that indicates their being related, they are consumed by bitterness, heartbreak, and ghosts of conflicts past that seem like they’d never be resolved.

Clementine, the eldest sister, has tended to the vineyards for years alongside her father, growing to love the estate, the smell of the grapes, and learning to tell the stages of brewing just from the state of the wind outside. She hasn’t laid eyes on Mathilde for twenty years, and neither of them knew of the existence of Sophie, the youngest, who had been left to roam the streets on her own – uneducated, and ignorant of the existence of a half-family. Mathilde was raised by a mother who cared little for her, and she now lives in America with her husband and daughter, unappreciative of her privileged life. Clementine initially seems to be the pitiful one, with the idea of her being unimportant and unlovable deeply entrenched into her being. Mathilde is portrayed as the spiteful, relentless, and selfish one, never able to think beyond her own wishes, and incapable of caring for another person. Sophie, on the other hand, is shown to be the timid one, without the means or a family to give her basic necessities, uneducated and eating out of trash cans on the street, but unbelievably compassionate. However, as the plot progresses, we find that there is more to each of them than is superficially seen, although revealed at a slow pace.

To this mix of characters, Sarah-Kate Lynch also brings in the gypsies – in particular, the old and wizened woman who goes by the name La Petite Noix, who takes on the role of an all-knowing, watchful fairy godmother with a quick tongue and a sharp wit, and Hector who is La Petite’s “great-grandson or something like that,” the perfectly sculpted man who becomes the object of desire for all three of the sisters.

While the main plot of the story is about how the sisters reconcile their differences and learn to live and work together, while gradually even coming to love one another, there are various interconnected subplots and themes that give a certain level of depth to each of the characters. For instance, sexual attraction and self-image are two important elements that can be seen present throughout the story. With Clementine barely having any confidence in herself and having accepted that she would be a miserable and lonely old woman for the rest of her life (which is only substantiated further because she’s in her mid-forties and described as being fat and someone who dresses funny), Mathilde having more sexual appeal and confidence in herself than is good for her, and Sophie focused on other people rather than herself, the story also traces the journey of self-realization and the formation of each of their identities. And to facilitate this, Hector becomes involved, helping Clementine love herself, taking Mathilde down a notch, and bringing comfort to Sophie.

Starting off, the book isn’t one to pull you straight into its pages; it begins pretty slowly, with little to get your interest peaked, and progresses in a way that tries your patience more than once. A lot of people would probably get tired of the arguments, crying, self-pity, and spitefulness in the story. But then again, how is that any different from real life? What Sarah-Kate Lynch does here is portray real and genuine characters who are more than what they seem, gradually peeling off the outer layers to reveal complexities and a great deal of likability within their core personalities. Just when it seems like the plot has reached a standstill without any possibility of interesting events happening, the author throws another hurdle along the characters’ way but ties it in seamlessly with everything that has already happened.

What really stands out is that, while the focus of the plot may be on the family and relationship dynamics, Lynch also weaves in the entire process of brewing. With imagery that is sure to kickstart your senses and make you long for the beautiful French countryside and tangy taste of champagne, this element is what balances out the story to make it a lot more enjoyable. The descriptions contain just the right amount of French words to convey the authenticity of the whole setting, and Lynch doesn’t hold back on the detail when it comes to the brewing or wine tasting. How many of us have actually smelled or listened to wine? How many of us have actually tried to distinguish the various flavors that are blended so finely into that one concoction? Well, that is Clementine’s favorite hobby, and in time, Sophie’s and Mathilde’s as well.

She filled the rest of the glass and turned it again to examine the bubbles. The flowed upward in a continuous stream, like tiny magical pearls, rising quickly but in a stately fashion commensurate with their age and stature.

Next she held the glass to her ear and listened to the bubbles chattering happily as they ascended.

(…)

Then she put her nose to the glass and breathed in, deeply and happily. There were roses, yes – she could almost see them – and the smokiness of oak plus the roundness of freshly baked buttery madeleines. And was that a suggestion of citrus? A soupçon of earth?

With the entirety of 309 pages supplemented by such invigorating descriptions along with a great load of magic realism and problems that seem like they’d never go away, this book is a bumpy ride filled with annoyances, hair-clutching and heart-warming moments, quite a bit of witty humor, and finally a culmination in love and sisterhood.

Should you read it? I’d say it’s worth persisting and getting through to the end.

[Michaela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Od knihy som mala isté očakávania (niečo hrejivé na štýl filmu Prechádzka v oblakoch), ale potom sme mali vlastnú oberačku a tá drina na stránkach je ako čajíček oproti skutočnosti. Ale teda rodina sa vie rozhnevať aj pre iné záležitosti (nie iba tie srdcové).
Príbeh trojice sestier, z ktorých sa prvá starala o vinice, ďalšia sa tam vrátila hlavne kvôli dedičstvu (a nie celkom vydarenému manželstvu) a tretia sa zjavila len preto, lebo nemala kam ísť.
Dlho sa neznášali, až som nemala dobrý pocit ani z toho záveru, keď si k sebe konečne našli cestu.
Prostredie sa mi páčilo, ale teda tá ich súrodenecká nevraživosť mi veľmi vadila, a tak z knihy nemám vyslovene pohodový pocit. Obálka je krásna.
Starenka s vešteckými sklonmi, sexi nomád, ktorý sa tam len mihne a tak celkovo pôsobí ako uvoľnovač napätia a veľa vína.
Asi si dám ešte jednu podobnú vinohradnícku tému (Posledné vinobranie), keďže je také obdobie, nech si napravím chuť.

[Evva Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the characters are so reactive and emotional as to not be realistic, I very much enjoyed this book. The education about champagne alone makes the book worthwhile. Every description of the process of bringing grapes from a generational idea to the glass in your hand is vibrant, evocative and delightful.

I also enjoyed the way sisterhood is captured. I don’t have a sister myself, but I see much of my daughters’ relationship in the ones presented here.

One sour note: I don’t love the way French gypsies are presented as magical yet stunted, wise yet unconcerned with basic hygiene. And if we’re going to talk about what the Nazis did to champagne, we could include their efforts to wipe out the Roma and Sinti peoples.

[Ami G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive enjoyed this book and how well it was written. The storyline moved along and did not drag. I was happy with the ending and it will be a book I will always remember.

The main vigneron of a champagne vineyard passes and in his will brings together his three daughters. They overcome some struggles and are able to care for one another in the end. As a wine enthusiast, I found this book full of fun facts and learned about the champagne business.

5/5 for enjoyment, easy storyline, and for it being rememberable

[Tinanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a story where you learn something new; it’s like a bonus gift on top of an enjoyable read. From this book I learnt a lot about champagne - the growing, blending, bottling and drinking of it. Sarah-Kate’s books all (so far) seem to deliver this little extra as well as strong characters and absorbing plots.

[Anya Räsänen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start and a little tedious in the beginning. I almost stopped entirely, but I'm glad I decided to read on. In the end, I couldn't get to the dénouement fast enough, it became that engrossing. Was also fascinating to learn how champagne is made and the process that goes into it. A rewarding read in the end.

[Kaye Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book promised to be a good read, and it was. A great story about three daughter's who must come together to save their champagne winery. Three daughter's by three different mothers, who start out despising each other. And who can forget Cochon....the miniature horse/pig/dog thing. Lynch has become one of my favourite authors. Loved this book from page one.

[Colleen Smithers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Blessed Are The Cheesemakers on a car trip about a year ago and was looking around for something warm and light to read. Cheese makers was so much fun I thought I would try The House of Daughters and I’m so glad I did. If I could move to France and make wine with these women I would.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book about human relationships under trying circumstances. After a rich man dies, a third unknown daughter is introduced per the will. The other two had only met briefly were already estranged. Due to circumstances they are forced to work together and it is interesting to see the changes that occur between the three. A very well written enjoyable read.

[Josefa Wann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read most of the books by this author and enjoyed them all. Each book is about a different good subject...cheese, honey, sweets..etc. This one is about chanpagne. It was interesting although one would be hard to find any 3 sisters more different and needing, with so many problems.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really impressed with the extensive research that Sarah-Kate undertook in order to write this novel. I expect she thoroughly enjoyed that experience. I loved little Cochon.
Coming from Dunedin Aotearoa/New Zealand I also appreciated the title.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting how they brought in the terms of the champagne making, and wound the story around it. 3 very unhappy daughters come together and discover each other and champagne. Reminded me of Chocolate'

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about three half sisters in Italy brought together by their father's last Will. They are bequeathed the family vineyards, home and champagne production all in ramshackle conditions along with their relationships. Simple, feel good story.

[Sara Ballinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

i do really like this book but it just took me a moment to get into. the character development is wonderful and once the “secrets” are revealed i found it hard to put down. simple and heartwarming read.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have given this book a higher rating for plot and storyline if unnecessary harshness and vile dialogue were not included as it could have been written differently to convey the same meaning.