Guns and Roses — Synopsis
Set against the fragile beauty of ancient France, Guns and Roses is a tragicomic love novel that explores how innocence survives amid violence, and how love grows in the shadow of war.
The story begins during a rare season of peace, when villages flourish, traditions bind communities together, and hope feels permanent. This calm is shattered by war, arriving without warning and leaving behind ashes, orphans, and unanswered prayers.
At the heart of the story is Emilia, a British orphan raised in France by loving foster parents. At just nine years old, she witnesses the destruction of her village and the loss that will forever shape her understanding of love, loyalty, and survival. Displaced by war, Emilia grows among refugees, priests, widows, and unlikely protectors—learning early that tragedy and laughter often walk hand in hand.
As years pass, Emilia’s life intertwines with Julien, a quiet blacksmith’s son marked by duty and restraint. Their bond begins in childhood innocence but matures under separation, conscription, misunderstandings, and cruel twists of fate. Allies offer warmth and wisdom, while adversaries—both human and circumstance—constantly test their resolve.
Blending historical atmosphere with poetic reflection, the novel weaves French proverbs, love quotes, and figures of speech into an English narrative that remains accessible to both French and non-French readers. Humor flickers even in the darkest moments, creating a tragicomic tone that reflects real human endurance.
Ultimately, Guns and Roses is a story about contrasts:
guns that destroy and roses that endure,
war that divides and love that insists,
loss that wounds and hope that refuses to die.

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