First published 2010
Antoine Rey plans the perfect birthday surprise for his sister Mélanie: a weekend at Noirmoutier Island, where they spent childhood summers before their mother died thirty years ago. The siblings haven't returned since those family holidays ended. But the island stirs more than fond memories for Mélanie. She recalls something disturbing about their final summer there. Driving back to Paris, she tells Antoine what she remembers. Her emotions overwhelm her and she crashes the car. In the hospital, Mélanie struggles to remember what caused the accident. Antoine meets Angèle, a mortician who shows him new ways to think about life and death. Then the past strikes both siblings with a dark truth about their mother Clarisse. Antoine must face this family secret while confronting his strained relationships with his own children. He questions how well he knows his mother, his children, and himself. The story explores how one revelation can reshape a man's understanding of his role as son, brother, husband, and father.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Noirmoutier Island, Paris
Period: 30 years ago
303 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: mental-illness