Le Havre in the 1980s, Anne is 16 and lives with her sister Irène, mother Maud and authoritarian, eccentric stepfather Jacques. Jacques may be sickly attached to good manners, wearing three-piece suits for every occasion and always expressing himself in a very chastened way, but he is nonetheless a spoiled stepfather. He envelops the girls in unconditional love and lavishes them with princely gifts far beyond his means. An improvising businessman in Abidjan, Jacques is sure his luck will change and success awaits him around the corner.

With a gentle melancholy, Florence Seyvos recreates the atmosphere of the 80s with the character of a man as flamboyant as he is eccentric, straight out of a Philippe de Broca film. This story of two teenage girls who discover the extreme vulnerability of adults has the colors of old Polaroids, both tender and heartbreaking.

Un Perdant magnifique by Florence Seyvos, éditions de l’Olivier
Click here to purchase this book with us

Miriam Bridenne

After almost two decades of working in publishing, and a few round trips between Paris and New York, Miriam has decided to settle down at Albertine to do what she enjoys most: recommending books she loves. Somehow this also includes taking bizarre pictures for Albertine's social media outlets.

Other recommendations by Miriam Bridenne