Thanks to Raphaël Fatout, who welcomed me into his unusual, wonderfully humane funeral parlor, “Le Tourneurs du Val,” in Trouville-sur-Mer. By speaking to me of his love of the job, of death, and of the here and now, Raphaël trusted me like no other.
Thanks to Papa for his garden and his passionate tutoring.
Thanks to Stéphane Baudin for all his sage advice.
Thanks to Cédric and Carol for the photography and the friendship.
Thanks to Julien Seul, who allowed me to borrow his name.
Thanks to Messrs. Denis Fayolle, Robert Badinter, and Éric Dupond-Moretti.
Thanks to all my friends from Marseilles and Cassis—you’re my very own chalet.
Thanks to Eugénie and Simon Lelouch, who suggested this story to me.
Thanks to Johnny Hallyday, Elvis Presley, Charles Trenet, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Jacques Prévert, Barbara, Raphaël Haroche, Vincent Delerm, Claude Nougaro, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Benjamin Biolay, Serge Reggiani, Pierre Barouh, Françoise Hardy, Alain Bashung, Chet Baker, Damien Saez, Daniel Guichard, Gilbert Bécaud, Francis Cabrel, Michel Jonasz, Serge Lama, Hélène Bohy, and Agnès Chaumié.
And finally, THANKS to all those who literally carried my first novel, Les Oubliés du dimanche; it’s thanks to YOU that I wrote this second novel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Valérie Perrin is a photographer and screenwriter who works with Claude Lelouch. Her first novel, Les Oubliés du dimanche, has won numerous prizes, including the 2016 Lire Élire and Poulet-Malassis prizes.
