Someone is making nasty crank calls to the families of residents of the Hydrangeas care home. The calls inform the families that their loved one has died and asks them to come the next day to collect the body. However, the alleged dead are all in fact still alive, and the calls are only made to the families who have never visited the Hydrangeas. This is not the only mystery in the little French village. While aiding the police with their investigation into the calls, Justine Neige, a 21-year-old nursing assistant at the home, discovers startling evidence about the car crash that killed her parents and her aunt and uncle some years ago, leaving her and her cousin in the care of their grandparents. All the while, another story unfolds for Justine—that of her favorite resident, the almost-centenarian Hélène, who recounts the many adventures of her long life, including one great love, for Justine to record and share with Hélène’s survivors.
VERDICT The many admirers of Perrin’s previous novel, Fresh Water for Flowers, will be equally charmed by this beguiling tale. All other readers might be doubly rewarded.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!