In a hotel lobby in 2007, a chance encounter triggers a memory for the narrator, Philippe, returning him to 1984 in rural France. During his final year of secondary school, he enters a clandestine physical relationship with Thomas, the son of a local farmer. While Philippe is an academic high-achiever, Thomas leads a double life, conforming to the social expectations of his traditional background while meeting Philippe in secret. The narrative tracks their brief, intense affair through quiet rural landscapes, documenting their eventual separation and the divergent adult paths they take over the following decades.
Readers of autofiction and historical romance find here a clinical examination of how early desire shapes a lifelong identity. It appeals to those interested in the specific social pressures of provincial French life in the late twentieth century. A reader finishes the book with a clear understanding of the difference between open self-acceptance and the burden of living behind a mask. It provides a precise look at how the memory of a singular person persists regardless of the passage of time or geographic distance.
Inward-looking and thought-provoking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2017
- Language
- EN
