*Inflected with humour and levity, this story told in three voices explores how women are boxed in by expectations, and what happens when they resist.

Family secrets are revealed to those who listen…

Léonie Hamilton spends her summers at the family residence, an opulent seaside villa. Although Léonie craves peace and quiet, she’s worried the weeks with her extended family will drag on under the thumb of her tyrannical grandfather.

The summer takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her late grandmother’s journal and, between its pages, clippings from the diary of an aunt she’s never met. Fascinated by the two women’s stories, Léonie tries to piece together the puzzle—but the mystery surrounding her aunt, who appears to share Léonie’s desire for freedom, remains cloudy. What happened to her? Who among the guests and staff working at the sprawling Hamilton residence can answer her questions?

“The river receded and left behind clumps of clay and rocks on the shoreline; we follow its path to an isolated mansion, secluded from the village of Kamouraska and, incidently, the place where we’ll be spending our summer. I promised myself it would be my last vacation here and I intend to keep it this time, since I’m about to break last year’s promise...and the one from the year before.”

BENOIT PICARD is a passionate traveler and storyteller; relying on his own experiences to tell heartwarming, humorous stories of love and selfdiscovery, his four previous books have sold nearly 30,000 copies.