The Winemaker's Wife

The Winemaker’s Wife is a 2019 historical novel by bestselling American author Kristin Harmel, who is known for her range of World War II-inspired novels. Set in the Champagne region of France, the novel follows the intertwining stories of the inhabitants of the champagne chateau and the secrets they kept during the German occupation. In a parallel narrative, the story jumps to the present day, following a woman named Liv who, after a personal heartbreak, discovers her connections to the chateau and unravels its mysteries.

The Winemaker’s Wife uses the region’s history and culture to examine the war and its effects on everyday people, particularly winemakers and growers. Its main themes include Redemption and Forgiveness, Heritage and Identity, and Loyalty and Betrayal.

This study guide refers to the 2021 paperback edition from Welbeck Fiction.

Content Warning: This novel contains depictions of wartime violence, death by suicide, and sexual assault.

Plot Summary

The novel follows two timelines with alternating chapters, which are told from three characters’ third-person limited points of view. The first timeline takes place in France in 1940 and is alternately narrated by the protagonists Inès and

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