" Richly engaging . . . Skilfully translated by David Homel - Michael Arditti, Spectator
"A touching tale of a beleaguered dreamer . . . Lightness balanced by glints of harsh realism, a combination captured perfectly in David Homel''s translation" - Financial Times
***WINNER OF THE PRIX GONCOURT***
Paul Hansen is in prison. He''s been in prison for a couple of years now, sharing a cell with a huge Hells Angel with a fear of mice and an intense love of Harley Davidsons, who often reminds Paul that he could kill him at any moment.
But life wasn''t always like this. Before prison, there were his parents: Danish pastor Johannes and free-spirited Anna, the proprietor of a controversial art house cinema in Toulouse. There were his friends in the Excelsior, the block of luxury flats where Paul worked officially as a caretaker, and unofficially as a restorer of souls. And above all, there was his partner, Winona, a daring
