An unlikely friendship is forged between two women born generations apart in Forgotten on Sunday, a profound, emotionally complex novel written by Valérie Perrin and translated from the French by Hildegard Serle.
One half of the book centers on gentle and kind 21-year-old Justine Neige. For years, Justine has lived in Milly, a small French village, while happily working--including voluntary overtime--as a nursing assistant at the Hydrangeas, the local retirement home. When Justine was a child, her parents and the parents of her cheeky cousin, Jules, died together in a car crash. Justine and Jules were raised like brother and sister by their grandparents--a chronically suicidal grandmother and a very grumpy grandfather.
Misunderstood Justine truly enjoys her small-town life and interacting with the residents she tends to at the home. She is most intrigued by Hélène, an enigmatic, 96-year-old nicknamed "The Beach Lady" because "since her arrival a seagull had set up home on the establishment's roof," and Hélène imagines she spends all her days at the beach with the great love of her life. Drawn to Hélène and her stories, Justine willingly collects and records her remembrances in a notebook at the behest of Hélène's grandson. In doing so, Justine uncovers details of Hélène's long, fascinating life that include romantic passions; a bistro job where she catered to the poet Baudelaire; and the harrowing atrocities of World War II. These incredibly moving stories of love, loss, and forgiveness awaken Justine's desires: "I feel nostalgic, nostalgic for what I've not yet lived." These feelings deepen when a series of anonymous, mysterious phone calls are made from the Hydrangeas that falsely notify relatives that their loved ones have died. The contacts have either forgotten or refuse to keep in touch with the geriatrics; the calls finally force folks to visit.
As a police investigation ensues, Justine probes the history of her own family--and questions are suddenly raised regarding the long-ago tragic car accident that claimed her parents' lives. Might the answers Justine seeks fill in gaps amidst her own existence?
Perrin (Fresh Water for Flowers) skillfully juggles the two storylines, heightening the drama of each with unexpected revelations. Delicate plot points--infused with elements of historical fiction juxtaposed against contemporary themes--will keep readers charmed and deeply engrossed. -- Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines
Shelf Talker: An emotionally engrossing novel that exposes the ways losses sustained by two French women, born generations apart, come to define their lives.