The Pleasing Hour

by Lily King

First published 1999

When Rosie arrives in Paris to work as an au pair, she's haunted by a tragic past. As she bonds with the Tivot children, their mother Nicole's icy distance confounds her. But Rosie's growing closeness to the father, Marc, soon causes tension. Fleeing to the south of France, Rosie uncovers the family's painful secrets - and the common ground she shares with Nicole. Through this transformative journey, Rosie must confront her own grief to find her place in this beguiling new world.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, second-chance

Setting: France, Paris, South of France

288 pages · Paperback · Simon and Schuster

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