Il quaderno dell'amore perduto

by Valérie Perrin, Giuseppe Maugeri (Translator)

La vita di Justine è un libro le cui pagine sono l’una uguale all’altra. Segnata dalla morte dei genitori, ha scelto di vivere a Milly – un paesino di cinquecento anime nel cuore della Francia – e di rifugiarsi in un lavoro sicuro come assistente in una casa di riposo. Ed è proprio lì, alle Ortensie, che Justine conosce Hélène. Arrivata al capitolo conclusivo di un’esistenza affrontata con passione e coraggio, Hélène racconta a Justine la storia del suo grande amore, un amore spezzato dalla furia della guerra e nutrito dalla forza della speranza. Per Justine, salvare quei ricordi – quell’amore – dalle nebbie del tempo diventa quasi una missione. Così compra un quaderno azzurro in cui riporta ogni parola di Hélène e, mentre le pagine si riempiono del passato, Justine inizia a guardare al presente con occhi diversi. Forse il tempo di ascoltare i racconti degli altri è finito, ed è ora di sperimentare l'amore sulla propria pelle. Ma troverà il coraggio d’impugnare la penna per scrivere il proprio destino?

Genres: Fiction, France, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Roman

309 pages, ebook

First published April 29, 2015

About the author

Valérie Perrin est une romancière française. Elle est aussi photographe de plateau et scénariste auprès de son compagnon Claude Lelouch.
Son premier roman, "Les oubliés du dimanche" (2015), a reçu de nombreux prix, dont celui de Lire Élire 2016 et de Poulet-Malassis 2016. Après son succès en France, il sort en Italie en septembre 2016 et en Allemagne début 2017.
En 2018, elle a reçu le prix Maison de la Presse pour son deuxième roman "Changer l'eau des fleurs" (Albin Michel, 2018).

Reviews

[Canadian Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perrin wooed me with Fresh Water for Flowers; sang to me with Three; and now has me dancing with Forgotten on Sunday

Justine is a nursing assistant at a long term care facility. She meets Helene, a resident there. Helene, in her world, is always at the beach. She observes people there, can feel the sun and its warmth, hear the waves as she sits and watches the seagull who stays close to her. It is here where she shares her story with Justine of her past love, Lucien, how they met, how they lived, how they loved.

Also, during this time, mysterious calls begin to happen weekly from the nursing home. A resident, who has not had a visitor for months or years, suddenly is reunited with family. All on Sundays.

Perrin magically weaves Justine's story within. Both stories reflecting the complexity and dynamics of a family; the regrets; the memories; the joy and the grief.

I am gutted again, Perrin…and how appropriate for today to be Sunday.

Perrin’s debut at last translated. My love and adoration for her beautiful stories continue ❤️
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

“I feel nostalgic, nostalgic for what I’ve not yet lived.”

Set in the small town of Milly, France, Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin (translated by Hildegarde Serle) revolves around twenty-one-year-old Justine Neige, a nursing assistant working at a retirement home named The Hydrangeas. Justine is an orphan, raised by her grandparents with her cousin Jules, after their parents perished in a road accident when they were children. She is close to Jules, whom she considers more her brother than cousin. In terms of personal relationships, she chooses to indulge in casual flings and consciously shies away from deeper romantic relationships. She genuinely enjoys her job caring for the elderly and spends much of her time listening to their stories. She is particularly close to ninety-six-year-old Hélène Hel. Encouraged by Hélène’s grandson, Justine begins to write Hélène’s story – her love for Lucien, the WWII years, and the events and choices that shaped Hélène and Lucien’s lives. Hélène’s revelations inspire Justine to reflect on her own life and seek answers to questions about her family history and the tragedy that upended their lives. As the narrative progresses, we follow Justine as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and Hélène as she relives her memories. The retirement home also faces a trying situation when an anonymous caller devises a creative strategy of ensuring that its residents are not “forgotten on Sunday” by relatives who are reluctant to visit them.

“You know, when you've lost the person you loved most in the world, you lose her every day.”

This is my third time reading Valérie Perrin. I loved both Fresh Water for Flowers and Three and was eager to read Forgotten on Sunday, which was her debut novel only recently translated into English and I’m glad to say I was not disappointed!

Revolving around themes of friendship, family, love, loss, remembrance, and healing, this is a beautifully penned, profoundly moving story that inspires thought and reflection. Valérie Perrin’s characters are always well thought out - complex, flawed and thus, realistic and relatable. The author seamlessly weaves multiple timelines into a compelling narrative. I was invested in Justine’s journey and found Hélène’s story captivating and loved how the author brings all the threads of the story together. The tone of this novel leans toward melancholic, though there are splashes of humor to be found in the story. I loved the symbolism of the seagull and how the author depicts the significance of the same in both past and present timelines. This is a relatively short novel, but the author takes no shortcuts and allows us the opportunity to explore these characters – their motivations, their dreams, triumphs and regrets - with much depth and insight. The author addresses several sensitive topics -aging, loneliness, the horrors of war, trauma, grief, self-acceptance and the importance of human connection – with maturity and compassion.

This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.

"Life takes away and gives back at the same time."

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Elisabeth Lagelée who does a remarkable job of breathing life into the story. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC via NetGalley.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 4, 2024.



Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read three of this author’s books now…
all 5 star reads!
I sure hope she is currently working
on something new!
I adore her writing!

This novel is set in France, where Justine is a caretaker at an old folks home.
Justine is 21, orphaned, living with her grandparents and cousin.
She is enraptured with a residents (Helene) love story of her past, and writes down everything this Helene tells her about her life with Lucien that started not long before World War ll.
There is also her own personal story of the tragedy of how she and her cousin became orphans, and came to be in the grandparents care and that story is just something else…
I just loved this!

[Angela M · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was offered a copy of Valerie Perrin’s debut novel which has recently been translated into English, I just couldn’t say no. I loved Fresh Water for Flowers, which was sad and beautiful and I was so touched by it . This one is so incredibly sad at times , but I kept reading because I had a feeling that I would be in good hands with Perrin and that it would be tempered by the beauty of her writing and by lovely characters. I wasn’t disappointed.

This is a multilayered novel with different time frames, multiple points of view , multiple characters, although the main focus is on the life of a young woman named Justine who forges a special connection with the elderly residents of a nursing home where she works as an aid, and in particular a woman named Helene. There’s a story within a story as Justine writes about Helene’s past, a story that becomes complicated by war, by loss and grief, by memories and loss of memory.

There is so much depth to this short novel which reflects on so many things. It’s complex, but the pieces come together as a puzzle as the stories progress. I found it gripping . A young woman finds herself as she connects with Helene’s past, meets her own grief and revelations of her own family secrets. It’s not a light read, but worth it for the intensity and depth, the love and lives reflected here. Hard to believe this was a debut novel.

I received a copy of this book Europa Editions through Edelweiss.

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Sunday is visiting day. But not for everyone'.

For some families, moving elderly into retirement homes, as they near their use-by dates, is a burden removed. Their lives lived, their stories told; history. Sadly, some residents, at The Hydrangeas home, are even forgotten on Sunday - the day reserved for family visits. However, Justine, a 21 year old nursing assistant at The Hydrangeas, lives for their stories. By recording them, she releases them, 'And old folks, since that's all they have left to do, can tell the past like no one else'. She brings them to life - that is both the story and the story teller. Her favourite story, which she's currently recording is from Helene. And, yet Justine has no history. Her story came to an end when her parents, together with her aunt and uncle, died in a car crash when she was young. Her grandparents, who raised her, refuse to talk about it, they refuse to answer questions. It's best forgotten.

'Forgotten on Sunday' is Justine's journey in discovering her story, her history, whilst listening and recording Helene's. The book is told in dual time and multiple POVs and there are many threads to its weaving. Indeed, there are stories within the stories - mysterious ones too. For me, the story is about love: lost love, unrequited love, forbidden love, family love, romantic love, and intimate love. There are loves which yearn, support, obsess, depress, or are simply a tryst, 'We're all someone's Michelangelo; the trouble is we have to meet them'.

Anyone who enjoys literary, contemporary and even historical fiction, will enjoy this one. It is wonderfully translated too. The story is in the telling. In order to have a history, we need to live.

'You know, when you've lost the person you loved most in the world, you lose her everyday'.

Thank you Europa Editions and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: My name is Justine Neige. I'm twenty-one years old. I've been working at a retirement home call The Hydrangeas for three years. I'm a nursing assistant. Generally, retirement homes are named after trees, like The Lindens, or The Sweet Chestnuts. But mine was built on a bank of hydrangeas. So no one considered trees, despite the home being on the edge of a forest.
I love two things in life: music and the elderly. I go dancing one Saturday in three, pretty much, at the Paradise Club, about thirty kilometers from The Hydrangeas. My Paradise is a kind of reinforced-concrete cube stuck in the middle of a field, with a makeshift carpark where, sometimes, I drunkenly kiss people of the opposite sex at around five in the morning.
Of course, I also love my brother Jules (who's actually my cousin) and my grandparents - my late father's parents. Jules is the only young person I spent time with at home during my childhood. I grew up with the elderly. I skipped a generation.
I divide my life into three: caring by day, interpreting the old folks' voices at night, and dancing on Saturday evenings to get back that carefree feeling I lost in 1996 because of grown-ups.
Those grown-ups were my parents and Jules's parents. They had the terrible idea of dying together in a car accident one Sunday morning.

ABOUT 'FORGOTTEN ON SUNDAY': Justine is 21 years old and has lived with her grandparents and her cousin Jules since the death of her parents. As a nursing assistant at a retirement home, she spends much of her days listening to her residents’ stories.

After bonding with Hélène, an almost 100-year-old resident, the two women slowly reveal their stories to one another. Whilst Justine helps Hélène to relive her memories of love and war, Hélène encourages Justine to confront the secrets of her own past, and the loss she keeps buried deep within.

MY THOUGHTS: When an old person dies - a library burns to the ground. - an old African proverb, reminding us to value the time we have with our elders and to appreciate the wisdom they have to offer.

How could anyone not love Justine? She has the biggest heart. She cares. She listens. She loves. She respects. She touches. She touched me, in my heart. She has a special friendship with Hélène Hel, 96, who, in her head, goes to the beach each day. At the request of Hélène's grandson, Roman, Justine writes down the story of Hèléne's life. As Hélène tells her story, Justine is motivated to look at her own life story a little more closely.

I loved Hélène and Justine's friendship. Actually, I adored this whole read/listen. The unravelling of two lives lived almost 75 years apart enchanted and enthralled me. I am bereft that this story has come to an end, but I shall hold these characters, particularly 'what's-his-name', in my heart and my mind for a long time to come.

Beautifully written and narrated, Forgotten on Sunday is both sad and joyous. A gentle and touching read not to be missed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#ForgottenonSunday #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Valérie Perrin is a photographer and screenwriter who works with (and is married to) Claude Lelouch. She was born in 1967 in Remiremont, in the Vosges Mountains, France. She grew up in Burgundy and settled in Paris in 1986. Valérie published her first novel at the age of 48.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Dreamscape Media via NetGalley for providing the audiobook Forgotten on Sunday written by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegard Serle, and beautifully narrated by Elisabeth Lagelée for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Ana Teles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilhoso.
Se mais estrelas houvesse, mais estrelas dava.

São três histórias a descobrir no mesmo livro que se vão desvendando camada por camada.

[Alex.andthebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Mimo wszystko czuć, że to debiut autorki — a może to kwestia moich upodobań. Sama historia złożona, piękna i wzruszająca, ale czegoś mi zabrakło. Miałam wrażenie, że główna bohaterka nie była aż tak wyrazista jak inne napisane przez nią kobiety.

[Fátima Linhares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uns telefonemas anónimos num Lar;
Um amor separado por uma guerra e, depois, por uma mulher doida;
Uma família com um terrível segredo que causou uma tragédia;
Uma ajudante de geriatria, detetive em part time, que anda com um moço mas nem sabe o nome dele, pois acha que está apaixonada por um tipo de olhos azuis.

São estes os imbróglios tratados em Os esquecidos de domingo. Entretém, é certo, mas também tem muitas coisas, para mim, incompreensíveis e difíceis de engolir.

[Ines Cupo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ci sono libri che quando termini di leggere, devi attendere per fare un commento, devi elaborare le emozioni che ti hanno scosso l’anima e questo romanzo è uno di questi.
E’ la prima opera di Valérie Perrin, l’autrice che ci ha regalato la delicatezza di cambiare l’acqua ai fiori, in Italia è arrivato dopo e hanno cambiato anche il titolo originale che secondo me era molto più indicato “ Les oubliés du dimanche”.

I dimenticati della domenica, chi sono? Gli anziani che si trovano in una casa di riposo che si chiama Ortensie e dove lavora la giovane Justine.
Justine è orfana, vive con un fratello/cugino nella casa dei nonni ama il suo lavoro come aiuto infermiera e si prende cura degli ospiti con dolcezza e dedizione e quando ha bisogno di vivere la sua giovinezza va a ballare fino a sfinirsi nell’unica discoteca che si trova vicino al paese piccino dove vive.
Nel locale, beve, balla e vive la sua sessualità senza cercare un rapporto serio e duraturo, lei non crede nell’amore per sempre, ma c’è un ospite all’Ortensie che gli cambierà la vita, ascoltando la storia di Helene Hel.
Justine scrive su un quaderno azzurro la storia della donna che ormai vive nel suo mondo, in una spiaggia assolata dove attende il suo grande amore.

Il romanzo è scorrevole i capitoli brevi, che io adoro, la storia di Helene, della guerra e del suo grande amore, un amore durato tutta la vita si alterna al presente e alla vita di justine, della sua ricerca della verità.
Personaggi che non si dimenticano, tutti anche quelli che sono solo accennati, e poi il gabbiano perché Helene credeva che:

Sulla terra ci sono tanti uccelli quanti sono gli esseri viventi e l’amore è quando più persone ne hanno uno in comune.

Debbo essere sincera, mentre lo leggevo pensavo chissà se anch’io ho un gabbiano accanto a me.
Il personaggio che mi ha accarezzata l’anima è il Corvo, ma non vi svelo che o che cosa è.

E’ un romanzo che mi ha emozionata, e qualche lacrima è scesa, forse perché è un argomento che mi tocca l’anima e che mi fa amare ancora di più le persone anziane che sono la nostra memoria e ci vorrebbero più Justine che raccolgono le loro storie con dolcezza e delicatezza,
libro da leggere

[Diane Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author, and apparently so does Europa Books, as this is the third of her books they've published in English. This completes my reading of all of them so far. They are translated from the French, where she's been a best-selling author for years, justifiably so, in my opinion.

Justine is a 21 year old who works as a caregiver in a rest home because she loves old people and the stories they tell. Her particular favorite is 97 year old Helene Hel. She meets her daughter Rose, her grandson Roman, and decides to write Helene's story down. In between we get her own family's complicated story, as she was raised by her grandparents along with her cousin Jules after both sets of parents were killed in the same car crash.

We are treated to several love stories and tragedies, as well as a mysterious seagull who watches over Helene. Told seamlessly through several timelines and by several characters, with a little bit of magic thrown in as well, it's a hard book to put down.

Most especially, who is the person calling the relatives of those rest home residents who never receive visitors, those who are "forgotten on Sundays"? The calls originate in room 19, where the patient is in a coma. They inform the relatives that the mother/father/brother/sister has died and they are expected to come by the next day. It's all a ruse to get them to visit and soon attracts media attention, but the caller is never found out.

There are other mysteries here as well, including that of the human heart and why we love who we love and how sometimes that works out and sometimes it doesn't.

I just hope that if and when I end up in a care home, I get someone like Justine.

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely stunning book! This is the second book I have read by Valerie Perrin and both times she has made me care so deeply for the characters she has created.

Justine is 21 years old and working as a nursing assistant at a nursing home. She loves taking care of old people and she loves listening to their stories. Her favourite resident is Helene- 97 years old- who has had a love affair to remember. Helene’s grandson, Roman, asks her to write down what Helene tells her. In Helene’s story, we are transported back tp pre World War II, when as a young girl, she could never learn to read. This changed when she met Lucien. WWII changed the trajectory of their lives, but their love never faltered. An exquisite retelling.

Justine has had major trauma in her short life as well. Both her parents and her cousin, Jules’ parents were killed in an accident when they were very young. There is a mystery surrounding their deaths that is slowly revealed.

This is an unputdownable book. The ending was the perfect finale. As my friend, Diane, said- I hope there is a Justine if I ever end up in a nursing home.

Highly recommended! A favourite for sure!

Published: 2015

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zachwyciła mnie ta opowieść! Dobrze napisana książka, która wciąga czytelnika. Historia powoli odkrywa różne oblicza miłości: takiej jak "grom z nieba", takiej, ktora przychodzi z czasem, takiej, która pozostaje długo nieuświadomiona, a także takiej, którą trzeba ukrywać przed światem, miłości, która rani, a nawet zabija. Mimo potężnego ładunku emocjonalnego jest to książka nieodkładalna. Skłania do refleksji i nie pozwala jednoznacznie osądzić bohaterów, bo przecież każdy z nich miał prawo do miłości.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a subtle meaning to the title Forgotten on Sunday...

Since the passing of her parents, 21-year-old Justine has been living with her grandparents and her cousin Jules. She is a nursing assistant at The Hydrangeas, an assisted living facility, and loves listening to the residents tell their stories.

Justine befriends Hélène, a nonagenarian resident, and begins to record the details of her past: her days spent on the beach, her love for a man called Lucien, and her memories of the war.

Justine, moved by Hélène's story and her recollections of the past, is encouraged to piece together her own story driven by the loss she has kept hidden within herself for too long...

Forgotten on Sunday is an emotional, character-driven, and multi-layered story about two women, two separate timelines, and stories from the past. The writing is gorgeous, the prose flows, and the storyline is intense and reflective. As I read, I contemplated the blurred lines between loss of memory and lost memories.

This was an immersion read; the audiobook is read by Elisabeth Lagelée, whose French accent complements the recounting of this story. Her breathy voice perfectly reflects the main character, Justine's thoughtful first-person narration, leading the listener through the tangled tale. The result is a lovely listening experience!

Forgotten on Sunday was my first experience with this author's work, and the timing was ideal with the release of her translated debut novel. It is a beautiful story, and Perrin is an author I will continue to explore.

4.5⭐

Thank you to Europa Editions, Dreamscape Media, and Valérie Perrin for the DRC and ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[littleprettybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

18/20

Il y a Hélène, cette vieille dame qui raconte son histoire d’amour avec Lucien, et il y a Justine qui l’immortalise dans un carnet. Il y a aussi les grands-parents de Justine et leurs non-dits. Deux aspects de ce très beau roman sur la vieillesse, sur les secrets de famille, sur l’amour, et l’auteur réussit à nous révéler des éléments au fil de la lecture, alors même que l’on ne s’y attendait pas. J’ai été surprise, touchée, émue, et ce roman est selon moi une véritable réussite de simplicité et de beauté.

Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whispers in the Mountains

Valérie Perrin is one of my go-to authors for summer reading. There’s something about her writing that invites stillness. I love to find a quiet spot—somewhere surrounded by trees, maybe with a breeze in the air—and completely immerse myself in one of her stories.

A Story to Savor
Forgotten on Sunday had been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for quite some time—ironically, forgotten. But once I began reading, I quickly remembered why Perrin is a master of the slow, intimate novel. Her writing doesn’t shout; it whispers—gently, deliberately, with care.

I have to quiet my busy mind, create space, and truly listen. I’ll admit I struggled to do that at first. The pace was slow, and I found myself distracted. But once I surrendered to it, I realized I wasn’t stuck—I was savoring.

Listening to the Quiet: The Hidden Voices
What makes Perrin’s work so compelling is her ability to take the quiet details of everyday life and reveal their emotional depth. In Forgotten on Sunday, she delves into themes of aging, memory, and the quiet ache of being overlooked. She writes about people with secrets tucked away—not spoken aloud, yet never entirely forgotten by those who carry them. These are the voices that need to be heard, even when the world believes they have nothing left to say.

Memory and Time
The story weaves together past and present through Justine, a young caregiver in a retirement home, and Hélène, one of her elderly residents, whose life story slowly unfolds. What begins as a job becomes something deeply personal, as Justine is changed by the hidden depths and long-held secrets of those in her care.

Forgotten on Sunday wasn’t a book I could rush through. It asked me to pause, to breathe, and to truly listen. In return, it offered a quiet kind of beauty—the kind that lingers long after the final page, just like Perrin’s other works.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

[Dem · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first novel by Valerie Perrin and what a captivating and entertaining read this was. I couldn't put it down and read it over 24 hours.

Justine is 21 years old and has lived with her grandparents and cousin Jules since the death of her parents. She works as a carer at a retirement home and spends her days listening to her residents' stories.
After bonding with Hélène, an almost 100-year-old resident, the two women slowly reveal their stories to one another. Whilst Justine helps Hélène to relive her memories of love and war, Hélène encourages Justine to confront the secrets of her own past, and the loss she has buried deep within.

This is a multi-layered story, It is storytelling at its best, I was absolutely captivated by the story and characters and can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Dolceluna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ora che lo sto commentando, a distanza di oltre due mesi dal termine della lettura, mi accorgo amaramente che di “I quaderni dell’amore perduto” di Valérie Perrin, ahimè, non mi resta quasi niente. Mi vedo costretta a togliere una stellina al mio iniziale giudizio, anche a libro chiuso ricordo di essere stata un po’ titubate a tal proposito. Ma se un libro se ne esce dalla tua mente a così poca distanza dalla data di lettura non può che significare una sola cosa: è stato uno dei tanti. Piacevole all’istante, ma, di fatto, mediocre.
Ecco, così lo ricordo, mediocre, un po’ noioso.
La protagonista ricorda molto quella di “Cambiare l’acqua ai fiori” e così diversi dei temi trattati, quali l’amore e il rapporto fra il presente e il passato, ma è mancato tutto il resto, la potenza evocativa, l’inguaribile romanticismo, la capacità di incollare alle pagine: è tutto più insipido e ingenuo, anche se la storia si lascia comunque leggere con sufficiente curiosità. O forse, le aspettative derivate dall’entusiasmo per il primo romanzo, hanno fatto la loro parte. Pazienza.

[Rita Tomás · Rating 5 out of 5]

Por muito que eu gostasse de descrever este livro, não tenho palavras.

Para mim, o melhor dos três, sem qualquer dúvida ou hesitação.

[Rita (the_bookthiefgirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Todos temos duas vidas: uma vida em que dizemos o que pensamos e outra em que fechamos a matraca. Uma vida em que calamos voluntariamente as palavras. “🍂

Este é o terceiro livro que li de Valèrie Perrin. Por sinal, posso dizer que “Esquecidos de Domingo” nunca se poderá comparar a “Breve Vida das Flores” ou “Três”. Ainda assim, foi um romance delicioso de se ler. A escrita de Valèrie envolve-nos, traz poesia ao passado e ao presente, traz-nos momentos ternurosos, humanos. 🥀

“Os esquecidos de Domingo” são, de facto, as pessoas que nos são mais esquecidas. Aquelas que nos levam anos de avanço e terminam os seus dias em lares, onde aos domingos os seus familiares não os visitam. São as pessoas a que, se estivermos dispostos a dar a mão e a ouvir as suas histórias, tanto nos ensinam. Que nos permitem contar as suas histórias num pequeno caderno azul. 💐

“aos idosos, basta que os toquemos, lhes tomemos as mãos, para que eles contem. Como quando se escava um buraco na areia à beira-mar e a água sobe sistematicamente debaixo dos dedos.”🍂

Justine Neige é uma jovem de 21 anos, órfã de pais que morreram num acidente, e que vive com os seus avós e primo. Nunca saiu de Milly, e trabalha como auxiliar no lar das Hortênsias. Hortênsias: símbolo de devoção, coragem, determinação. Assim é a jovem Justine, com sede de viver, rir, conversar e ouvir. Tem uma grande amizade pela Hélène, a centenária que vive na sua praia eterna, à espera do amor da sua vida, dos olhos mais belos e intensos que já viu na sua vida.🪻

Hélène é interessante, viva, curiosa, tem um passado envolvente de se conhecer. Queria beber palavras, ler, viver, amar. Esperou, e alcançou. Como a gaivota, o pássaro a que se ligou para toda a vida. 💦

Ao mesmo tempo, Justine intercala entre o seu passado e presente, entrelaçará peças misteriosas. A maneira como a história de Hélène é contada, a morte dos pais de Justine e o modo como vive o presente traz-nos uma maneira de encarar os temas delicados da nossa vida, pelas palavras de Perrin.🩵

Acredito que este romance falhe um bocado na dispersão das histórias. A certa altura, perde-se um bocado nos acontecimentos o que é uma pena, porque as personagens têm potencial e são muito interessantes. 🌸

Valèrie foi das minhas melhores descobertas este ano e fico sempre ansiosa por ler os livros dela. Não deixem de se envolver nas histórias dela. 💗Muito bonitas, humanas.

[Voinea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un pic cam ciudata acesta carte, m-am pierdut la un moment dat in detalii si atatea personaje. Si am ramas cu un sentiment de "neterminat" si o stare de mâhnire, tristețe. 🙃😑😖

[Falling_xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

„...kiedy stary człowiek umiera, jest tak, jakby spaliła się cała biblioteka, robię co mogę, żeby ocalić coś z popiołu.”

[simona.citeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iubesc tot ce scrie autoarea aceasta!

Mi-a plăcut foarte mult și acest roman care a transmis foarte multă emoție și speranță.

[Luisa Sobral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei muito deste livro! Não o conseguia largar.
Como " A breve vida das flores" me marcou tanto, estava com medo que não acontecesse o mesmo com este, mas aconteceu. É escrito de uma forma muito poética, a história prende e tem momentos maravilhosos de um sentido de humor muito inteligente.
Se não fosse o final, uma parte que não achei nada verosímil e que não fazia falta, teria recebido as 5 estrelas. De qualquer maneira, adorei na mesma.

[Patrycja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kolejna grająca na emocjach powieść autorki.
Wciąż "Życie Violette" pozostaje moim top 1, ale "Zapomniane niedziele" również chwytają za serce.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valérie Perrin znowu to zrobiła – tą powieścią rozpoczęła swoją karierę, pokochali ją czytelnicy we Francji i gwarantuję Wam, że u nas znów porwie niejedno serce, chociaż znamy już jej talent z „Życia Violette” i „Cudownych lat”. To niełatwa historia, która z miejsca przenosi nas do domu spokojnej starości. Starsi ludzi, często zapomniani przez swoich bliskich, oczekujący, stęsknieni, wpatrzeni w drzwi, przez które jedynie sporadycznie przechodzi ktoś bliski, wyłącznie do wybranych szczęśliwców, w dzień odwiedzin, czyli w niedzielę. I tu pojawia się tajemnica wyjściowa, czyli ktoś dzwoni do bliskich pensjonariuszy z niecnym planem – mówi ich rodzinom, że umarli. A ci, zdesperowani, przyjeżdżają, by zastać swoich dziadków czy rodziców całkiem zdrowych i radosnych z niespodziewanych odwiedzin. W gruncie rzeczy to uroczy podstęp sekretnego spryciarza.

Ale słodycz szybko zostaje przełamana u Perrin dziegciem. Nasza bohaterka jest ewidentnie nieszczęśliwa. Próbuje to maskować, próbuje ukrywać nawet między swoimi słowami, ale często wypływa z nich gorycz, która nie przystoi tak młodej kobiecie, która dopiero zaczyna dorosłe życie. W tym zachowaniu wydała mi się z początku nieco odpychająca, infantylna nawet i odrzuciła mnie od siebie. A wszystko to do chwili, gdy przypomniałam sobie siebie sprzed niemal dwudziestu lat. Ilu rzeczy jeszcze nie wiedziałam! Ile doświadczeń było i wciąż jest przede mną! Jak bardzo wydawało mi się, że już wszystko wiem i dojrzałam! Przynajmniej Justine ma powód, by czuć się zagubiona – śmiertelny wypadek rodziców sprzed lat, który zostawił rysę na jej najbliższej rodzinie. I nie wiem, czy zauważyliście, ale w „Życiu Violette” i w „Cudownych latach” motywy wypadków i związanych z nimi tajemnic powróciły jak bumerang, zdają się nawiedzać Valérie Perrin, być nieodłączną częścią jej opowieści. Tragedia, za którą kryje się klucz. Odpowiedź na najbardziej przerażające pytanie. I drzwi do przemiany bohaterów.

Nie mogę się oprzeć „Zapomnianym niedzielom” – Valérie Perrin trzyma nas w napięciu, serwuje sekret za sekretem, ludzi zdesperowanych, pogubionych, szukających siebie. To trochę jak klątwy, które trzeba pokonać, chociaż nikt nie obiecuje, że to będzie proste. I często życie okazuje zbyt krótkie, by wszystko wyjaśnić. Lub zbyt pogmatwane. To francuska proza pełną parą. Proste zdania uderzające z impetem, drobne detale, które tworzą nastrój, chociażby ta mewa, która coś za cicha moim zdaniem na mewę jest. Czytajcie, zróbcie sobie przyjemność, daje się ponieść i unieść.

[Maria Yankulova · Rating 5 out of 5]

За втори път се влюбвам в стила на Валери Перен - много нежен, фин, елегантен, меланхоличен и абсолютно омагьосващ! Начина, по който пише и изгражда историите си, цялото навръзване на сюжета и темите, които засяга и в двата си романа изцяло са ме завладяли. Бих могла да я чета винГи и постоянно. Надявам се да има вдъхновение за писане и да видим още нейни романи на български!

Жустин е 21 годишно момиче, което работи в дом за стари хора. Обича пансионерите и най-много дамата от стая 19 - Елен Ел. Дамата, която в спомените си е всеки ден на плажа с любимия си Люсиен. Жустин започва да записва истороята и, която е толкова интересна и нетипична, колкото не мога да ви обясня. Редица странни случки и отношения водят до кражба на любов, изгубена самоличност и една чайка далеч от морето. Паралелно с историята на Ел се запознаваме с тази на бабата и дядото на Жустин, с които тя и братовчед и живеят след смъртта на родителите им. Малко по-малко ще разберем дали смъртта им наистина е инцидент. Не знам как го прави авторката, но историите и героите и са много различни, безкрайно интересно и самата конструкция на сюжета ме завладява от самото начало.

Оставям цитат от преводачката на романа - Анета Тошева, който казва всичко по възможно най-красивия и умел начин.

“Безсилна съм в няколко реда да опиша тази книга - с чайката, брайловата азбука, забравата, възвръщането на паметта, кражбата (на мъж и спомени), ревността, ненавистта, разкаянието и най-вече - за любовта, която докосва като ангелско перце всеки един от юерсонажите… И онази светла тъга, която е запазена марка на Валери Перен…”

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stilul inconfundabil al autoarei se simte și în volumul ei de debut. Are calitatea de a oferi povești de viață emoționante, care ies la iveală odată cu secrete de mult îngropate.

Așa se întâmplă și aici. Justine scrie la propriu o carte având ca subiect viața uneia dintre bătrânele pe care le îngrijește în căminul de bătrâni unde ea lucrează. În paralel, descoperă lucruri neștiute despre propria familie. Locuiește împreună cu bunicii ei paterni și cu Jules, verișorul ei. Părinții lor au murit toți 4 în același accident de mașină. Drama vine, la fel ca în "Apă proaspătă pentru flori", în momentul în care Justine descoperă care a fost cauza acestui accident.

Vedem detalii și din viața amoroasă a tinerei. Se dovedește a fi o fată destul de libertină, deși îi cade cu tronc un bărbat pe care nu îl poate avea.

Nu am înțeles rostul unor fetișuri expuse în carte, care au știrbit cumva din emoție. De asta i-am scăzut o stea.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I’m always being told that when an old person dies a library burns to the ground, I’m saving a little of the ashes.

Justine Neige is not your usual 21 years girl. She spends her working days cleaning up and taking care of old people in a retirement home called ‘Les Hortensias’. Then she goes home to her old grandparents, who are hardly speaking to each other. Justine lost her parents in a car crash, just like her cousin Jules who lives in the same house and whose parents were riding in the same car.
But while Jules only dreams of escaping to Paris and starting his own life, Justine is content to listen to the stories these old people can tell. Sometimes, it feels like she is the only one who cares. Everybody else has forgotten them, even their own families.

I explained that someone was phoning the families of those who were forgotten on Sunday and pretending they had died.

Apparently, someone else is trying to call attention to these forgotten relics and places anonymous distress calls to make the families come to visit. The management of ‘The Hydrangeas’ is revolted and asks the police to get involved. That’s the framework of the novel, but the real content is in the stories recorded by Justine, in particular the fragmented memories of centenarian Helene Hel, and in the hidden history of Justine’s own family, of the tragedy that still haunts and controls her destiny.

Consequently, everyone suspects everyone else: it’s like an Agatha Christie with no dead body. Just imagine a novel by her in which Miss Marple was investigating because no one had died.
If Miss Marple investigated me, what would she say? That my ‘libraries,’ with all their stories, cost me dear? That I’m too young to look after people who are so old?

Helene Hel escapes from her room at the home to visit once again, in her memories, the sunniest beach with the bluest sea where she was once loved and safe. Or she goes back to the village cafe where she lived for most of her life. Justine has to piece together these fragments of Helene’s daydreaming like the pieces of a scattered puzzle.
Oh, and there’s a magical seabird that has followed Helene all through her life, and is now roosting on the roof of the retirement home.

Somehow, the ‘library’ of old memories, Helene’s and others, inspire Justine to start her own investigation of the dark secrets locked into the cupboards of her grandparents house, to learn about the events that led to that fatal car crash of her parents.

>>><<<>>><<<

This is my second novel by Valerie Perrin and it didn’t quite bowled me over the way ‘Fresh Water for Flowers’ did, but it is clear that both books come from the same fount of empathy, from the same sensibility and desire to learn about the past in order to know where we are going.

... he’s from the same world as us, the one in which you don’t believe only what you can see. The world of idiots, the naive, optimists.

A more cynical reviewer than me might call the plot overtly melodramatic and the phrasing often awkward [probably some ‘lost in translation’ issues or some debut novel gaucherie], but such remarks would be untrue to the emotional intensity that carried me like a powerful tide to the conclusion of the novel. Since the Covid years, and even before, I have had to care myself for some old people that are practically forgotten by family and friends, and I should really applaud Valerie Perrin for the way she handled the theme.

They should start an Anonymous Call Day in all the retirement homes around the world.

As a side note that might explain the style and the particular romantic sensibility displayed by the author, I only found out in the Acknowledgements section of the novel that Valerie Perrin was a collaborator, studio photographer, co-scenarist and eventually wife of the famous director Claude Lelouch. Birds of a feather, if you might want to reference the magic seagull in the novel:

I give thanks to Claude Lelouch for a thousand and thirteen reasons.

Me too!

[Thibaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est le tout premier roman écrit par Valérie Perrin, mais bien le deuxième que je lis de cette auteure, après avoir été conquis par ma lecture de "Changer l’eau des fleurs", cet été !

Ce récit fait (lui aussi) s’entremêler deux intrigues, au passé et au présent : celle d’Hélène, une vieille pensionnaire d’une maison de retraite dont l’histoire d’amour avec Lucien est racontée par son aide-soignante Justine, qui l’immortalise dans un petit carnet ; et celle, justement, de Justine, ses grands-parents, leurs non-dits et leurs secrets de famille jusqu’alors bien enfouis.

L’auteure raconte, de sa plume toujours très juste, la vieillesse, la transmission, l’amour et la famille, avec beaucoup d’humanité, de respect et de pudeur.

C’est avec émotion que j’ai parcouru les derniers chapitres de ce roman, et eu, au moment de tourner la dernière page, la certitude d’avoir lu une histoire sensible et tendre, dont se dégage une simplicité réconfortante.