Book Review - Le Confident

For the last week, I have been absolutely drawn in this other French book that I had picked up a bit randomly at the airport in Paris. This book is The Confidant, by Hélène Grémillion.

This is the story of Camille, dealing with the pains and the condoleances letters following her mother's death. She is a publisher, struggling with a man who won’t accept the baby she’s carrying. Among the letters one day came one from Louis telling her about a story. This is the story of Annie, a young painter in the countryside of France, and how her fate will be changed forever from the day she meets a rich young couple during the first years of World War II. As the letters keep coming from Louis, Camille will soon realise that this dramatic story might have taken roots closer than she thinks to her own family.

I think I was first intrigued by the fact that the book is written as letters. Letters sent by Louis, an old friend of Annie, who will reveal years after the truth about this dramatic scheme that he was also part of.

I like how we go through the story as through an investigation. I got really attached to a character, then I realized that there are always two different sides to a story and I started to see all the flaws. Up until the end, I would never have imagined all the secrets revealed. How beautiful it is to be surprised every page of the book!

The last part of the story has kept me awake really, really late on a school night, and I think this is a pretty good proof of the greatness of this book. I read it in French but it has been translated in a few different languages so no excuse: give it a go!