"Finely drawn . . . Charming and engrossing."--**Suzanne Vega,
singer-songwriter
**
An ode to the French café as a magical place, portrayed by a beloved
author with humanity, insight, and tenderness. At a classic café in the
French provinces, anonymity, chance encounters, and traumatic pasts
collide against the muted background of global instability.
Jean-Philippe Blondel, author of the bestselling The 6:41 to Paris,
presents a moving fresco of intertwined destinies. In the span of
twenty-four hours, a medley of characters retrace the fading patterns of
their lives after a long disruption from Covid. A mother and son realize
their vast differences, a man takes tea with a childhood friend he had
once covertly fallen for, and a woman crosses paths with the ex who
abandoned her in Australia. Amidst it all, the café swirls like a
kaleidoscope, bringing together customers, waiters, and owners past and
present. Within its walls and on its terrace, they examine the threads
of their existence, laying bare their inner selves, their failed dreams,
and their hopes for the uncertain future that awaits us all.
