Though Anna and Louise don't know each other, they have much in common. Both are married, with children, and both women are relatively happy in their relationships. Then each is hit with a coup de foudre, that quintessential French phenomenon--and they are wildly, deliciously in love with men who are not their husbands! This doesn't happen exclusively to women in French novels, but it happens so beautifully to them--no hand-wringing, angst, guilty speeches, tears, what-about-the-children scenes. Au contraire, they enjoy unreconstructed great sex, many stolen moments, lies told with impunity, hand-holding in dimly lit bistros--the whole enchilada... or would that be a crepe? Quite refreshing. If you're going to do it, might as well enjoy it.
These husbands and wives are smart, successful people with engaging careers, no lack of funds, access to everything and unobtrusive children of whom they are all four inordinately fond. What happens to the women is simply the frosting on what is already quite a lovely cake. Anna is a doctor married to a doctor, very squared away, when she meets Yves, a rather feckless writer. She is besotted and really can't explain why. Her analyst, Thomas Le Gall, meets Louise at a party and is immediately smitten. Anna talks to Thomas about Yves, and Thomas fantasizes about Louise. Of course, the progress of the romances goes far beyond fantasy, including weekends away with the children and being found out by the respective husbands. Then it is decision time.
Le Tellier handles these extremely complicated lives as one would a soufflé--lightly. Not that he doesn't take his characters and their situations seriously; he does, and he also sees the comedic aspects of this kind of teenage love at 40. Is it love, infatuation or merely lust?
Each woman makes a different decision, entirely right for her. Everyone is very civilized; in fact, the reader is not subjected to anything tawdry or unseemly throughout this tale of the exploration of love, responsibility, relationships, attraction and the courage to make a decision, whether it is to stay or to go.
Thomas, the psychiatrist, says at one point, "An attentive reader will always learn more, and more quickly, from good authors than from life." This very good author has much to teach in his quirky, occasionally self-indulgent but always entertaining novel.--Valerie Ryan
Shelf Talker: Two women fall in love in early middle age, enjoy themselves immensely, try very hard never to be cruel and, ultimately, make the decison that is right for each of them. Very French, very enjoyable.