Description:
This French bestseller revels in life's small pleasures. Whether it be a croissant in the street, the Tour de France, a potluck, shelling peas, a glass of port, the smell of apples, the mobile library, a garden in August, getting your espadrilles wet, or an autumn sweater, these 34 short essays delight in the simple. In colorful, sensory language that's perfect for reading out loud, author Philippe Delerm paints a world of possibility and profound joy. From the title essay: It's the almost that counts, and the use of the conditional. The suggestion seems absurd at first. It's only the beginning of March and there's been nothing but rain, wind and showers all week. And now this. Since this morning, the sun's been shining with a sort of dull intensity, a calm persistence. Lunch is ready, and the table's been laid. But everything seems different somehow, even inside. The window's slightly ajar, there's an audible hum from outside and the air feels fresh. Though it could easily be read in one sitting, this book is the kind to savor piece by piece like the delicacies of day-to-day life the author serves up as small, precious gifts. --Kathryn True
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