The spine of this thin, 163-page quality paperback struck my eye at the library over the weekend and when I slid it off the shelf for a closer look, I knew immediately it was a book I wanted to read. The cover had colorful spools of thread around it and the brief synopsis about a woman in her late 40s, owning a fabric shop in France, winning a large sum in the lottery ... well, I had to see what this author's story was all about. There was another library patron browsing the same book section as myself and I was thrilled her eyes didn't fall on the same book as I'm sure she too would have grabbed for it.
My Wish List by French writer, Gregoire Delacourt, translated by Anthea Bell, is a gem of a book. It's one of those novels that steals you completely away into its pages and holds you there until the very last page. It was the perfect read for a Sunday evening. I was actually surprised the story came forth from a man's pen as it was quite spot-on in so many places from a woman's point of feeling and thought. Jocelyne is married to Jo - she a fabric shopkeeper and he a factory worker for ice cream. The two have a plain, ordinary life. Jocelyne wins the lottery and finds herself undecided on the best way to proceed with the winning money! I was quite shocked (I did gasp!) at how the book twisted at the end ~ again, a story that holds on and doesn't let go until you finish. Delacourt delivered a beautiful character in Jocelyne and one that was most believable. If you come across this book at your library or bookstore, I hope you read it and please let me know what you think.
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