In this collection of seven short stories, all written in the first person, Anna Gavalda has created an ode to those who confront their vulnerabilities and admit their weaknesses. These tales illustrate the importance of moving beyond the wounds of the past and embracing love, friendship, forgiveness, and family. From the trucker who puts his dog to sleep following the death of his son to the alcoholic widow who befriends a stranger raised in a strict military family, readers will find the classic Gavaldian universe on full display in these stories of suffering and salvation.
Anna Gavalda's first published work was the critically acclaimed collection of short stories I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere, which sold over half a million copies in her native France. She is also the author of Someone I Loved and the internationally bestselling novel Hunting and Gathering (Vintage, 2008), which was made into a film starring Audrey Tatou and Daniel Auteil. Her most recent work, Fendre l'armure, was shortlisted in the Belles-Lettres Category for the Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) in 2017. Gavalda's novels and short stories have been translated into over forty languages. In addition to writing novels, Gavalda contributes to Elle Magazine. She lives in Paris. Alison Anderson's translations for Europa Editions include novels by Selim Nassib, Amelie Nothomb, and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. She is the translator of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa, 2008) and The Life of the Elves (Europa, 2016) by Muriel Barbery.
