March 1, 2016
After losing her husband and child in a car accident, the owner of a Parisian literary cafe moves to the Irish coast and falls in love with her neighbor in this uplifting travel fantasy. Diane's cottage in Mulranny is an idyllic backdrop for a romance to unfold over long walks on dramatic seaside cliffs or pints of Guinness in a cozy pub where the cheerful villagers all know each other by name. Noticeably missing from the picture is her love interest, Edward, who lives next door but who only appears every so often to yell at Diane to turn down her "damned music" or to ask her to watch his dog, Postman Pat, while he leaves town for several weeks. But their reticence is part of the story's authenticity as well as its charm. Diane seems to get a cathartic release from turning her music back up and shouting in his face. They form a tentative friendship as Diane pulls herself together in other areas of her life--after her parents comment on her lack of independence, for example, Diane learns how to check her darkened cottage for a blown fuse. But Edward reveals his tender side when an old girlfriend appears on his doorstep. There's a heart-rendingly awkward pause while they both decide how to proceed, knowing that both of their hearts might still belong to someone else and that Diane will eventually return to Paris--a cliffhanger ending for Edward that will be explored in the sequel. But like its heroine, the first book in the series doesn't attempt to do too much, too soon. Martin-Lugand's sparse but emotionally forceful style, aided by Smith's translation from the original French, catches the sweeter moments between two people embittered by loss.
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March 1, 2016
Following the deaths of her beloved husband and daughter, Diane shuts herself off from the world and stays in her Paris apartment for a year, eschewing company and leaving the handling of her literary cafe, Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, to her partner, Felix. Only when Felix begs her to come away with him and escape her despair does Diane take action. She moves to a tiny Irish coastal town, where she promptly meets her caustic neighbor, photographer Edward. The two clash at every available opportunity until the stakes change and a tender love begins to bloom. Yet just when things seem to be taking off, ghosts from both their pasts threaten to destroy everything. Although this translation of the French best seller can be devoured in a day, it shouldn't be discounted. It is a heartbreaking story of love and loss that will twist readers up in knots. Diane's pain is easy to identify with, and Edward's backstory is believable. Readers will be eagerly awaiting the 2017 sequel. VERDICT Essential for any foreign literature or women's fiction collection.--Kristen Droesch, formerly with Library Journal
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2016
It's been a year since Diane's husband and small daughter died tragically, and she hasn't left her Paris apartment. Her friend Felix has been running their bookstore cafe, Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, into the ground. Her parents and in-laws think she simply needs to move on. That doesn't seem possible, but one day she decides to move to Ireland, choosing the spot by placing her finger on a map. There, the volatile weather, the tiny village, and a hostile neighbor all contribute to her cigarette- and wine-fueled return to life. She makes bad decisions, makes better decisions, and navigates her revised existence mostly on her own. The movie rights to this translated novel have already been sold, and a sequel is imminent. For readers of women's journeys and tales of hope, this slim volume engages thoughts and feelings without whitewashing grief.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)