To Capture What We Cannot Keep
To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin, published by Allen & Unwin in August 2017, is a historical fiction novel that explores the complexities of love amidst societal constraints. Set against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower’s construction, the story follows the relationship between Caitriona Wallace, a young widow, and Émile Nouguier, an engineer. Their chance meeting in a hot air balloon in February 1887 sparks a connection that challenges the boundaries of class and wealth, revealing the stark realities of their lives as they navigate their feelings for one another.
Readers will find a richly detailed narrative that intertwines historical elements with the personal struggles of its characters. As Cait and Émile confront the expectations placed upon them—Cait as a chaperone for wealthy Scottish charges and Émile as a future business owner—the novel delves into themes of love, sacrifice, and societal norms. With a page count of 304, this edition presents a vivid portrayal of a transformative era marked by both tradition and innovation, inviting reflection on the nature of relationships and the impact of class distinctions.
Official synopsis Publisher
Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young widow and an engineer who, despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in love.
In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and Émile Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high above Paris–a moment of pure possibility. But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear. Cait is a widow who because of her precarious financial situation is forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. Émile is expected to take on the bourgeois stability of his family’s business and choose a suitable wife. As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and Émile must decide what their love is worth.
Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes the revolutionary time in which Cait and Émile live–one of corsets and secret trysts, duels and Bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative, and shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman’s place in that world, the overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all.
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