The book
(Re-)introducing Anna Gavalda, France’s best-selling female author
Anna Gavalda, France’s best-selling female author, has composed a moving tribute to those among us who choose to confront our vulnerabilities and admit our weaknesses.
From the story of a truck driver who reacts to his son’s death with a gesture of awkward kindness, to the alcoholic widow who befriends a stranger still haunted by a childhood spent in an emotionally frigid military family, readers will find the full Gavaldian universe on display in these stories of suffering and salvation. Rich in empathy, understanding of everyday struggles, and grace, these tales illustrate the importance of moving beyond the wounds of the past and embracing love, friendship, forgiveness, and family.
The author
Anna Gavalda
While working as a high-school French teacher, Anna Gavalda published her first work in 1999, 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. Gavalda has since published three novels, all of which have become best-sellers across Europe. Her first novel, Someone I Loved, was adapted to film in 2009 and her novel Hunting and Gathering was made into a film starring Audrey Tautou and Daniel Auteuil. Gavalda’s novels and short stories have been translated into over forty languages. She lives in Paris.