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  • Location: France

Breaking Away

Breaking Away

Why a Booktrail?

2000s:  A car journey from Paris to the French countryside could reveal some secrets..

  • ISBN: 978-1908313614
  • Translator: Alison Anderson
  • Genre: Fiction

What you need to know before your trail

In Breaking Away, Anna Gavalda examines what it means for brothers and sisters when everyone grows up and often grows apart. A tender reminder to grab life while you can.

Garance, her sister Lola, their brother Simon and his wife Carine are driving out of Paris to a cousin’s wedding in the country and on the way one of them at least has to pull over and sleep at the Hotel Cold Shoulder…

Its an easy-to-follow and funny and poignant read with a realistic portrayal of a family’s nostalgia for times gone by and opportunities gone with them.

Travel Guide

A car journey with some nostalgic stops along the way:

On the car journey to a wedding, the relationships between siblings are at the core of the story

A  They drive out of Paris via Place Clichy

B Drive past the outskirts of Orleans

C Le Mans where Carine’s father owns a casino – ‘The supermarket not the Las Vegas variety

D They pick Lola up in Châteauroux

E They reminisce over their childhood fun and games at Villiers

As you would expect from a novel set in France, this is a visual feast in word form –

Lola has “eyes as big as Sevres bisque saucers”. There is mention of French radio stations, French road side cafes and French traditions. A picture of France for all the senses.

As one of the characters says – It’s time for our great escape!

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