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2023: A mysterious phonecall causes chaos in a retirement home
2023: A mysterious phonecall causes chaos in a retirement home
Justine is 21 years old and has lived with her grandparents and cousin Jules since the death of her parents. She works as a carer at a retirement home and spends her days listening to her residents’ stories.
After bonding with Hélène, an almost 100-year-old resident, the two women slowly reveal their stories to one another. Whilst Justine helps Hélène to relive her memories of love and war, Hélène encourages Justine to confront the secrets of her own past, and the loss she has buried deep within.
One day, trouble arrives in the form of a mysterious phone call that shakes the retirement home to its core and uncovers a shocking revelation. At once humorous and melancholic, Valérie Perrin’s debut novel is a story of how the past can shape our present, and the scars of undeclared love
Burgundy and Milly, France
The novel is set primarily in Burgundy and a village called Clermain. There is a lot of talk of the village called Milly where Justine lives.
“My village is calle Milly. Some four hundred inhabitants.You need a magnifying glass to find it on a map. There’s one commerical street : that’s Rue Jean Jaures. At the centre, a small Romanesque church with its square. When it comes to stores, apart from old Prost’s grocery, there’s a betting office, a garage and a hair salon.”
” There are as many ‘For Sale’ signs as there are houses.But since the nearest highway is more than seventy kilometres away, and the nearest station fifty, no one’s buying.”
Destination: Burgundy, Clermain Author/guide: Valerie Perrin Departure Time: 2023
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