“Yes, this book is about loneliness, but more importantly, it’s about how we can move beyond loneliness. It’s about opening our hearts to others, being true to ourselves, embracing our cracks and vulnerabilities, and being willing to speak them out and share them with others. It is precisely in these acts—through the risks we dare to take in opening up to others—that the most beautiful relationships are born.”
—Le Nouvelliste

★Audio rights sold to France.
★Josée Bournival is a leading figure in Canada’s contemporary “gentle realism” movement: She writes about the smallest aspects of everyday life to offer the greatest sense of warmth and connection. She believes that speaking out about loneliness is the very beginning of an embrace.

There’s Pierre, a teacher in his fifties who has been raising his teenage daughter alone since his wife passed away—but the two just can’t seem to get along. Then his daughter suddenly becomes an internet sensation, yanking him out of the self-imposed isolation that had long cast a shadow over his life.

There’s Rose, a world-weary, widowed elderly woman living in a nursing home, slowly slipping into dementia. Her long, monotonous days are marked only by an old 45-rpm record by Bobby Vinton, which she plays over and over again.

Then there’s little Lou, a nine-year-old boy who sticks close to the school walls, constantly bullied by his peers. Almost no one notices his sharp mind, extraordinary talent, or precocious maturity.

And finally, there’s Catherine, a mother of four who works as a waitress in a restaurant, doing everything she can to make ends meet. Though she’s always surrounded by her family, she remains deeply lonely—and still waits for the “prince charming” who might come along to fill the emptiness in her life.

The universe obeys the laws of physics, and it seems the human heart is no exception. In this tender, intimate narrative, Joseph Bourneville shows us that loneliness comes to everyone in different forms—but opening our hearts to others and embracing kindness is a lifeline that never fails.

Josée Bournival

Born in 1977 in Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Josée Bournival wears many hats: she is a novelist, a television and radio host, and an actress. Her writing excels in its finely observed depictions of everyday life and its warm, humanistic concern for others, with a particular talent for portraying “loneliness” not as something to be feared, but as a natural, relatable aspect of human existence—one that can be embraced and engaged in dialogue with.

In addition to her work as a writer, Bournival has long been active in Quebec’s television and radio scene, hosting programs on parenting, reading, and culture, and also writing scripts for stage plays and film and television productions. Her multifaceted career has made her especially attuned to the boundaries between different storytelling mediums, and her novels often carry a cinematic quality and a rhythm reminiscent of spoken language.