Following La Gloire de Mon Père and Le Chateau de Ma Mère, this third installment continues where Le Chateau de Ma Mère left off. Once again, we meet Marcel with his dearest friend Lili (a boy, not a girl), his little brother Paul, his schoolteacher father Joseph and his frail but lovely mother Augustine. However, Marcel is now 12 years old, and he falls in love! The description of this young first love is both tender and hilarious, as are the comments of his family. Well, the comments of his family are hilarious, but they certainly are not tender! The family, one and all, disapprove of the way the precocious little girl has poor moonstruck Marcel under her thumb! I cannot wait to read the last book, Le Temps des Amours. Marcel Pagnol writes in a simple yet lyrical style. I'm reading these books in French. I don't know if the translations would do them justice.

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