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Book Review of Chez Moi

Chez Moi
Chez Moi
Author: Agnes Desarthe
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
Judyh avatar reviewed on + 227 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This book is definitely written in a style some folks would not appreciate. There's not a great deal of action, only a handful of characters, and the story unfolds somewhat by stream of consciousness from the inner thoughts of Myriam. She is a very unusual character, and yet not so entirely unlike the rest of us. Some things in her life went well, some went very very badly. Some expectations she had were never fulfilled. At the beginning of the story she is emotionally and socially crippled, I would say, but she is at a point where she has finally decided to take some actions and create a new life for herself by opening a restaurant. It all unfolds from there. She meets people, she creates amazing meals, and surprises herself by making friends and becoming part of a community. She is still haunted by past mistakes and still emotionally immature, but this is a story of movement -- the movement through life and the twists and turns it can take, and how even someone as sad and damaged as Myriam can start over, pick up the pieces, and find some peace. I found it to be a sad story, and yet hopeful...