Iliaria, Or The Consequence Of Disobedience: A Novel by Gabriella Zalapi, Translated by Adriana Hunter

(Thank you Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Kidnapped by her troubled father, a young girl navigates life on a road trip across 1980s Italy in this stunning, cinematic English-language debut.

One day in May 1980, 8-year-old Ilaria gets into her father’s car after school. As they stop at a series of highway hotels, traversing the north of Italy, the child thinks of her mother and promises herself not to cry anymore. She learns to drive and to lie, discovers Trieste, Bologna, a boarding school in Rome, a sunny rural life in Sicily.

Thanks to the games they play, the hit songs they sing at the tops of their voices on the road, and the kind people Ilaria meets along the way, the kidnapping almost seems like a normal childhood. But her father drinks too much, nervous in a cloud of cigarette smoke. If he takes her by the hand, she thinks it’s better not to pull it away. Ilaria observes and feels everything.

In gripping, precise prose, this poignant novel takes us inside the mind of a little girl who must grow up on her own.

my thoughts:

A captivating story that sweeps you away, Ilaria by Gabriella Zalapi, is an unputdownable story. I gobbled it up one go and could not stop thinking about it long after. 

A little girl is waiting after school when she gets kidnapped by her father. He takes her from city to city, calling her mom from phone booths, and behaving erratically. All the while, Ilaria isn't sure what exactly is happening, except that the longer she is away from home the less she remembers her mom and sister. Talk about a bad road trip. I don't what to share much else, because the story is short and packs quite the punch. Plus, you'll want to experience all the family drama and lost childhood years for yourself - it's riveting. Zalapi has written an emotional and mesmerizing book - you are going to LOVE it! Make sure to grab a copy. 

Thank you Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Paris Agent: A Novel Of World War II by Kelly Rimmer

 

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

For fans of fast-paced historical thrillers like Our Woman in Moscow and The Rose Code, Rimmer’s brilliant new novel follows three female SOE operatives as their lives intersect in occupied France, and the double agent who controls their fate.

Twenty-five years after the end of the war, an aging Marcel Augustin is reflecting on his life during those perilous, exhilarating years as a British SOE operative in occupied France—in particular the agent who saved his life during a mission gone wrong, whose real name he never knew, nor whether she survived the war. Piqued by her father’s memories, Marcel’s daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers that resurrects the unrest and uncertainty from that period of his life. What follows is the story of Eloise, Josie and Virginia, three otherwise ordinary, average women whose lives intersect in 1943 when they’re called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks to support the allied troops with very little information or resources, the three women have no idea they’re at the mercy of a double agent within their ranks who's causing chaos within the French circuits, whose efforts will affect the outcome of their lives.

As Charlotte’s search for answers continues, new suspicions are raised about the identity of the double agent, with unsettling clues pointing to her father, and more mysteries are unearthed from the last days of the war about the eventual fates of Eloise, Josie and Virginia.

my thoughts:

Wow. What an amazing story. I absolutely LOVED Kelly Rimmer's latest novel, The Paris Agent: A Novel of World War II. It was historical fiction at its very best -  gripping, well written, and unputdownable. Talk about the perfect book to settle down with on a long weekend. 

Noah aka Marcel is reminiscing about his time as a British SOE operative in WWII, specifically the time an agent saved his life. He never knew her name or whether she survived the war.  So, his daughter, Charlotte, decides to search for answers. Through her research we find the stories of three women: Eloise, Josie, and Virginia, all deployed for France during the war in service to the SOE. We also find out about a double agent who put everyone's lives in danger. The more information Charlotte uncovers, the more she starts to wonder about her own father's role in the war. And, the more we find out about what happened to Eloise, Josie, and Virginia. 

Rimmer has created an amazing story with a fascinating cast of characters that will have you reading all day and night, just to find out what happened. We get code names, dual timelines, the terror of war, and the compelling stories of the agents sacrificing their lives for the greater good. It is riveting. And the descriptions are vivid and rich with detail, that you can't help but see, smell, and taste everything in the story. The Paris Agent is a dynamic duo of a book - top notch writing and masterful storytelling. You will fall in deep with this story!

I would happily recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Paris Showroom: A Novel by Juliet Blackwell

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

In Nazi-occupied Paris, a talented artisan must fight for her life by designing for her enemies. From New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell comes an extraordinary story about holding on to hope when all seems lost.

Capucine Benoit works alongside her father to produce fans of rare feathers, beads, and intricate pleating for the haute couture fashion houses. But after the Germans invade Paris in June 1940, Capucine and her father must focus on mere survival—until they are betrayed to the secret police and arrested for his political beliefs. When Capucine saves herself from deportation to Auschwitz by highlighting her connections to Parisian design houses, she is sent to a little-known prison camp located in the heart of Paris, within the Lévitan department store.

There, hundreds of prisoners work to sort through, repair, and put on display the massive quantities of art, furniture, and household goods looted from Jewish homes and businesses. Forced to wait on German officials and their wives and mistresses, Capucine struggles to hold her tongue in order to survive, remembering happier days spent in the art salons, ateliers, and jazz clubs of Montmartre in the 1920s.

Capucine’s estranged daughter, Mathilde, remains in the care of her conservative paternal grandparents, who are prospering under the Nazi occupation. But after her mother is arrested and then a childhood friend goes missing, the usually obedient Mathilde finds herself drawn into the shadowy world of Paris’s Résistance fighters. As her mind opens to new ways of looking at the world, Mathilde also begins to see her unconventional mother in a different light.

When an old acquaintance arrives to go “shopping” at the Lévitan department store on the arm of a Nazi officer and secretly offers to help Capucine get in touch with Mathilde, this seeming act of kindness could have dangerous consequences.

my thoughts:

Wow! What an engaging and entertaining story. I just loved The Paris Showroom by Juliet Blackwell. It was such a treat to read. 

The story shares a mother-daughter relationship that is non-existent, until it is forced to exist. Paris has been invaded by the Nazis and people are struggling to survive. Capucine and her father are arrested, but she manages to avoid being sent to Auschwitz. Instead, Capucine is sent to work at a prison camp within a department store. Her daughter, Mathilde, is living with her paternal grandparents - they have been raising her.  The two have no connection, apart of biology.  Except, with everything going on, Mathilde finds herself questioning the world and wondering about her mother. In fact, one day Capucine gets an offer at work - someone is willing to help her get in contact with Mathilde. The question is, should she? Is it safe? Will this turn out to be a trap? Could she be endangering her daughter's life and her own? 

Blackwell has created a lovely story about two strong women and their determination to survive and thrive. The Paris Showroom is a terrific story! I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Blackwell and to anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book! Check it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Last One: A Novel by Fatima Daas

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Drawn from the author’s experiences growing up in a Paris banlieue, a powerful, lyric debut that explores the diverse, often conflicting facets of her identity—French, Algerian, Muslim, lesbian.

The youngest daughter of Algerian immigrants, Fatima Daas is raised in a home where love and sexuality are considered taboo, and signs of affection avoided. Living in the majority-Muslim suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, she often spends more than three hours a day on public transportation to and from the city, where she feels like a tourist observing Parisian manners. She goes from unstable student to maladjusted adult, doing four years of therapy—her longest relationship. But as she gains distance from her family and comes into her own, she grapples more directly with her attraction to women and how it fits with her religion, which she continues to practice. When Nina comes into her life, she doesn’t know exactly what she needs but feels that something crucial has been missing.

This extraordinary first novel, anchored and buoyed by the refrain “My name is Fatima,” is a vital portrait of a young woman finding herself in a modern world full of contradictions. Daas’s journey to living her sexuality in spite of expectations about who she should be offers a powerful perspective on the queer experience.

my thoughts:

What beautiful prose! The Last One reads like a poem with its lyricism and vivid emotions. I just loved reading about Daas and her life in Paris. It was fascinating, thought-provoking, and eye-opening. Talk about food for thought. 

Daas is Muslim, queer, and in her twenties living in France. She is religious and loyal to her family, so she struggles with how her sexual identity will affect these very important relationships. She struggles with it all and shares about it with such authenticity, that you can't help but feel her disconnection and sadness. It is such a passionate story. 

I found myself gripped by Daas's emotional journey and her ability to describe it, share it, and write it all out for us was just amazing. She bears it all - flaws, loves, struggles, pain, and so much more. It was truly a powerful read. 

I would happily recommend The Last One by Fatima Daas to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will fall in deep with this one. 

Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Unbreakables: A Novel by Lisa Barr

about book:

A delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex. 

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town. 

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor. 

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever...and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

“Artful, feminist, and emotionally gripping. The Unbreakables is a remarkable tribute to a woman’s strength in the face of heartbreak and adversity.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

Smart, sure and sexy, The Unbreakables is unforgettable.” — Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris

“This exquisitely wrought novel will appeal to readers who believe in the redemption of new beginnings.” — Publishers Weekly

my thoughts:

For Paris in July I finally picked up my copy of The Unbreakables.  I bought the book over a year ago, but never found myself ready to read it. I figured the time was finally now. And so, I dove right in. Let me just say, I wish I had pulled myself right out of it. The book was a dud for me. Definitely not my cup of tea.  

The only parts of the book I enjoyed reading about were the ones that included descriptions of France and all its glories (museums, cafes, restaurants, countryside).  The story itself, well, I found myself rolling my eyes and skim reading it. There were just too many cliches, caricatures, and unfulfilling storylines. Basically, Sophie finds out her husband has cheated on her throughout their entire marriage. She's devastated and heads to France to be with their daughter - she called her mom crying that her boyfriend had cheated on her. Turns out she cheated on her boyfriend with a married man and may be pregnant. How ridiculous is that? Anyhow, I'm sure you can guess what happens next. Sophie sets about discovering herself in France. And, there you have it. That's the whole story. Talk about predictable with a capital P. 

So, why did I keep reading the book instead of DNFing it? France. Reading about France is the only thing that kept me turning pages. Sophie finally visiting the Café de Flore, walking around the Rodin museum, and driving through the French countryside - all of that was worth reading. I couldn't help but daydream about these places as Sophie walked around them or sat outside them. Those were the fun parts of the book. All in all, The Unbreakables was just not for me. Oh well, can't love them all, right? 

And now, I'm off to read something by Sally Rooney. I've been managing a book or two a day, and I want to keep that reading streak going, so I have decided to dive into a book by an author that I consider to be "a sure thing" - meaning, the book won't disappoint. 

Hope you all are staying safe and enjoying a great read.  

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen: The True Story Behind Degas's Masterpiece by Camille Laurens

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

This absorbing, heartfelt work uncovers the story of the real dancer behind Degas’s now-iconic sculpture, and the struggles of late nineteenth-century Parisian life. 

She is famous throughout the world, but how many know her name? You can admire her figure in Washington, Paris, London, New York, Dresden, or Copenhagen, but where is her grave? We know only her age, fourteen, and the work that she did—because it was already grueling work, at an age when children today are sent to school. In the 1880s, she danced as a “little rat” at the Paris Opera, and what is often a dream for young girls now wasn’t a dream for her. She was fired after several years of intense labor; the director had had enough of her repeated absences. She had been working another job, even two, because the few pennies the Opera paid weren’t enough to keep her and her family fed. She was a model, posing for painters or sculptors—among them Edgar Degas.

Drawing on a wealth of historical material as well as her own love of ballet and personal experiences of loss, Camille Laurens presents a compelling, compassionate portrait of Marie van Goethem and the world she inhabited that shows the importance of those who have traditionally been overlooked in the study of art.

my thoughts:

What an amazing book! I absolutely LOVED Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Camille Laurens. It was such a fascinating read - part art history, socio-economics lesson, and a personal narrative all rolled into one. I truly enjoyed settling down with this short book and taking my time with it. I found myself captivated from the start and jotting down notes about Degas, the "little rats", and Paris in the late nineteenth  century. 

So, what's the book about? Marie van Goethem.  She's the inspiration/muse behind Degas's sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.  This book is about her, and the other "little rats" in Degas's artwork.  Yep, Degas referred to his art subjects as "little rats".  These poor girls who worked hard and lived hard trying to make ends meet.  They were sexualized, ignored, and forgotten about when they were off stage, but when they were dancing, these "little rats" were revered and idolized for their skill and talent.  Laurens shines light on Degas's "little rats", Degas, and Paris.  And, it all makes for quite an unforgettable read. 

I would happily recommend Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Camille Laurens to fans of art, nonfiction, and history - you will fall in deep with this book. The writing is top notch, smart, and engaging. And the subject matter will keep you turning pages and thinking about the art world, Degas, Marie van Goethem, and Paris. You won't be able to put this book down for anything. I know that I didn't. And, I loved every minute I spent with this book. Definitely check it out or gift it to someone you know who loves art and nonfiction - makes for a great stocking stuffer!  

Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Black Swan Of Paris by Karen Robards

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

For fans of The Alice Network and The Lost Girls of Paris comes a thrilling standalone by New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards about a celebrated singer in WWII occupied France who joins the Resistance to save her estranged family from being killed in a German prison.

In Occupied France, the Resistance trembles on the brink of destruction. Its operatives, its secrets, its plans, all will be revealed. One of its leaders, wealthy aristocrat Baron Paul de Rocheford, has been killed in a raid and the surviving members of his cell, including his wife the elegant Baronness Lillian de Rocheford, have been arrested and transported to Germany for interrogation and, inevitably, execution.

Captain Max Ryan, British SOE, is given the job of penetrating the impregnable German prison where the Baroness and the remnants of the cell are being held and tortured. If they can't be rescued he must kill them before they can give up their secrets.

Max is in Paris, currently living under a cover identity as a show business impresario whose star attraction is Genevieve Dumont. Young, beautiful Genevieve is the toast of Europe, an icon of the glittering entertainment world that the Nazis celebrate so that the arts can be seen to be thriving in the occupied territories under their rule.

What no one knows about Genevieve is that she is Lillian and Paul de Rocheford's younger daughter. Her feelings toward her family are bitter since they were estranged twelve years ago. But when she finds out from Max just what his new assignment entails, old, long-buried feelings are rekindled and she knows that no matter what she can't allow her mother to be killed, not by the Nazis and not by Max. She secretly establishes contact with those in the Resistance who can help her. Through them she is able to contact her sister Emmy, and the sisters put aside their estrangement to work together to rescue their mother.

It all hinges on a command performance that Genevieve is to give for a Gestapo General in the Bavarian town where her mother and the others are imprisoned. While Genevieve sings and the show goes on, a daring rescue is underway that involves terrible danger, heartbreaking choices, and the realization that some ties, like the love between a mother and her daughters and between sisters, are forever.

my thoughts:

What a fantastic story!! Karen Robards has created a world filled with espionage, love, family, war, and singing that is just amazing. I absolutely LOVED The Black Swan Of Paris - it was such a thrilling and entertaining read. I was gripped from the start and could/would not put the book down for anything. It was just soooo good!!

Its WWII.  Genevieve is a singer beloved by the Nazis.  This means she can pretty much go about as she pleases and can perform anywhere.  She loathes the Nazis, but needs must during war times prevents her from expressing her true feelings. Instead she hides her real identity from everyone and keeps on singing. Her manager is named Max and he's also keeping secrets.  The two are a formidable pair who keep things strictly business in order to keep on performing and surviving.  Estranged from her family, Genevieve has no idea how they are faring during WWII.  Turns out, her parents are involved with the Resistance and her mother has been taken. She's being tortured for information and once they get what they want from her she will be executed. Genevieve gets in touch with her sister and formulates a plan to help their mother escape from the Nazis. Its dangerous, smart, and must be put into action immediately.  The only catch is, who can Genevieve really trust in these times?

Talk about a thrilling and captivating read! I found myself in deep and unable to stop reading late into the night. I just had to find out what would happen next. Would they succeed with their plan? Would Genevieve's mom survive? Would Genevieve survive? What about Max? So many questions and thoughts throughout this engrossing and exciting story!

I would absolutely recommend The Black Swan Of Paris to fans of Karen Robards and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!!





Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Currently reading...

and absolutely LOVING it!! The perfect book to kick off:

Happy reading!!

Paris in July 2017

Its back!! Yes, Paris in July is here once again to brighten our summer days.  Hurrah!!  And to top it off, its the tenth anniversary - yes, 10 years of Paris in July have flown right by.  How exciting!!

So, what exactly is Paris in July?  Its the blogging event where we blog about all things French during the month of July.  How fun does that sound?  You can post as much as, or as little as you want.  And it can be about anything: books, music, art, food, the cities, museums, etc..  Hosted by Tamara from Thyme for Tea, this fun and fantastic event starts now.  Just head on over to her blog and link your posts so that we can check them out - Thyme for Tea.

Here are the books I've put aside for Paris in July:

What do you think? Not a bad bunch, eh? Now, I just have to decide which one to read first.  Happy reading!!

Just finished...

What a story! A Parisian attorney named Chaumont is absolutely addicted to collecting objects (it started with erasers when he was a kid) and selling them for a higher price.  Of course, he does keep a lot of the items he collects.  His wife thinks his addiction is akin to hoarding, so she has relegated his collection to one room in their house - nothing can leave that room!  One day, while walking about the local auction house (where he made sure to open his law practice across the street from), he finds a painting.  A painting of a man who looks exactly like him.  Say what?! Yep, he finds his doppelganger staring back at him.  So, what's Chaumont to do?  Bid on the item - no cost is too high!
Once the item is his, he eagerly takes it home and stares at it (after all, its like looking into a mirror).  Of course, he can't wait to show it to his wife and hear her exclaim over the man in the painting looking just like her husband.  Except, that doesn't happen.  In fact, she acts like he's crazy to even think such a thing and dismisses the painting as more junk to add to his collection.  Talk about a major letdown.  Chaumont is not pleased.  He becomes even more frustrated when everyone else he shows the painting to does not see the resemblance he shares with its subject.  So, he spends his time researching the painting - searching for answers to find the connection that he must have with it.  He searches and searches until he finds a name. The name leads him to a little town.  Once there, his life is never the same again.  And that is all I will write about this delightful short novel.  It is simply too good to miss out on - you must read it and experience Laurain's whimsical storytelling for your self.  Believe me, you are going to fall in love with his writing, his characters, his story, and France.  All in all, a perfect summer time read.  I absolutely LOVED The Portrait and can't wait to read more of Laurain's works.

Now, I'm off to start devouring Party Girls Die in Pearls by Plum Sykes. Hope you're reading something delicious.  Happy reading!!

Paris in July begins...NOW!

Yep, its that time again!  Thyme for Tea's annual Paris in July month long event is back.  Hurrah!  All things French all month long - how exciting is that!?!  I am super excited to join in on the fun.  I plan on reading some great books, listening to Tiersen (my go-to for French music), and finding some new-to-me films to watch.   And, I'll be indulging in some macarons as well.

Here are the books I plan on reading:

What do you think? Not a bad batch, eh?  Do you have any suggestions for me?  I'm excited for the Hemingway and the Laurain.  I'm also hoping to watch a movie or two.  And, I can't wait to read what everyone else posts about for  Paris in July.  Should be a fun month! If you want to join in, then head on over to Tamara's blog, Thyme for Tea, to get all the details.  Hope to see you there!  Au revoir!

The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers

Look what I got just in time for Paris in July 2013?  The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers!  Now, I've never read a book by Vickers, but I have heard great things about her work.  So, of course I excitedly agreed to read this book - especially after I read the book summary:

"From the author of Miss Garnet’s Angel, a story of the redemptive power of love and community in the famous French cathedral town

There is something very special about Agnès Morel. A quiet presence in the small French town of Chartres, she can be found cleaning the famed medieval cathedral each morning and doing odd jobs for the townspeople. No one knows where she came from or why. Not Abbé Paul, who discovered her one morning twenty years ago, sleeping on the north porch, and not Alain Fleury, the irreverent young restorer who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes and elusive manner. She has transformed each of their lives in her own subtle way, yet no one suspects the dark secret Agnès is hiding.

When an accidental encounter dredges up a series of tragic incidents from Agnès’s youth, the nasty meddling of town gossips threatens to upend the woman’s simple, peaceful life. Her story reveals a terrible loss, a case of mistaken identity, and a cruel and violent act that haunts her past. Agnès wrestles with her own sense of guilt and enduring heartbreak while the citizens piece together the truth about her life."

Sounds pretty mysterious and intriguing, eh?  Well, it is.  Or at least it has been (so far).  Its a rather slow-going book, but I like that.  I'm enjoying dipping in and out of it, as it flips back and forth in time revealing bits and bobs about the elusive  Agnès Morel.  I like the long descriptions of the Cathedral, Chartres, the inhabitants and their own personal stories (or gossiping).  Its making for quite the perfect lunchtime read. I find myself transported by Vickers' writing so much so, that when I head back to work, my mind is still with  Agnès and her worlds.  I say worlds, because in one chapter you read about  Agnès, the heavily sedated mental patient; while in another chapter you get  Agnès, the cathedral cleaner who works odd jobs and keeps to herself.  You can't help but be fascinated by this young woman, who you keep reading about, but don't really know.  So far I have learned a few things though: she was a foundling, she was raised by nuns, she had a baby that was given up for adoption (or sale?), she is quiet, she is a hard worker, she is very secretive, and she may or may not have stabbed a nanny.  Talk about keeping me on my toes - I'm starting to wonder which  Agnès I'll be reading about in the end.  All in all, I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and looking forward to reading more of it tomorrow. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I finished Hedgehog last night and was bawling for quite some time after I had put the book down. I felt sad, betrayed and angry - Sad because Madame Michel died, betrayed that Barbery killed Madame Michel at the end and I was angry because Madame Michel was not going to live the happy life I had envisioned for her and Kakuro. Today, I am still haunted by the end and still feeling sad over the loss of Madame Michel. Perhaps its my current mood, but this book just really affected me emotionally. Elegance is about two fascinating characters whose views of life and death are skewed by their class/social status and by their disconnection with people. Madame Michel is the concierge of a posh hotel, where the twelve year old Paloma resides with her family. Both Madame Michel and Paloma hide their true selves from the people around them, in the hopes of remaining invisible. Madame Michel hides her vast intelligence from the posh residents in order to maintain the decorum that she is a mere concierge who only knows about opening the door, delivering the mail and taking care of the garbage. Behind her door, nestled in her loge, she reads and reads, toils the time away with her fat cat, Leo (named afer Tolstoy), and has tea with her one and only friend, Manuela (the housekeeper for several of the families residing in the hotel). Paloma is an extremely smart kid who loves all things Japanese and plans to committ suicide by her thirteenth birthday by taking pills (after she has set the apartment on fire). She hides her intellect from her family because she does not want them to know just how smart she is, or they will then begin to pay even more attention to her, and she will no longer be able to hide and scribble her thoughts on movement and life. Both of these characters draw you into their worlds in such a way that you do not want to leave. And then you are introduced to the man who opens the minds and hearts of both Madame Michel and Paloma - the new Japanese tennant, Kakuro Ozu. Kakuro quickly surmises that Madame Michel is not who she seems and that Paloma is not your average child. Through Kakuro we learn so much more about Madame Michel and Paloma and you begin to see the hope of a lovely future for all three of these wonderful characters. Paloma realizes that she does not want to die and Madame Michel meets the man who opens her heart and mind to the possibility of being herself and being comfortable with who she really is, an intelligent, beautiful woman. And then wham! Madame Michel gets hit by a dry cleaning bus and that is the end of her future with Kakuro, Manuela, Paloma, Leo and herself. I know there is meaning behind this sudden death, but I am not quite there yet, in wanting to actually contemplate it, because I am still mourning my happy ending. This book was beautifully written and the characters were brilliant and I can honestly say that I would consider this to be one of my favorite books. There is so much in the book, that I am forgetting to mention, but that is alright, because truth betold, I am more interested in the way the book made me feel. I was surprised at how attached I had become to the characters and how heartbroken I felt for their loss upon hearing of Madame Michel's death. Definitely a moving book.