BY CATHERINE ARMITSTEAD

 

A thought-provoking story about what we want in life, whether significant or trivial, crazy or sensible. What do you desire most in terms of relationships, family, home, possessions, life-style and your inner feelings?

Jocelyne is 47 and lives in the French town of Arras. She has been married to Jo for 27 years and they have two grown-up children. She runs a haberdashery and writes a popular blog. Next door, the twins who run a hair-salon, keep everyone entertained with their gossip.

The author uses images, vignettes and flashbacks to memories, which give the story a sad and poignant tone. We realise that Jocelyne’s unhappiness stems from the history behind her current relationship with her husband. It involves a baby daughter who was still-born, and her husband’s drunken aggression.

Grief has been a theme in Jocelyne’s life, since her mother died when she was young. Her father is still alive but his memory only lasts six minutes at a time.

The writing is poetic and philosophical, creating the atmosphere of a French film. Holiday resorts are seen out-of-season, or they are a place where Jocelyne goes to alone, on retreat, and a mystery man approaches her.

The pace of the story accelerates when Jocelyne has a sudden change of luck but does not tell her husband or neighbours, preferring the simple life and deciding that she is not interested in material possessions.

You have to admire the male author’s ability to write so delicately from a woman’s perspective. He talks about the world of sewing materials and knitting, juxtaposing this with brutal life events. He manages to portray a character whose greatest wish is simply to be thought beautiful and be loved by her husband.

At times the translation of the original text from French creates clunky and strange sentences, which adds to the feeling of a foreign story. The novel has met with tremendous success in France, where readers have said that the book affected their lives. I look forward to the release of the planned film and more French cinematic atmosphere.

 

This book was published by W&N and is available to buy for £12.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.