The narrator of Sans Moi is a working single mother struggling to bring up her two young children. Olivia is a recovering drug addict and onetime prostitute who desperately needs a job. When Olivia—on the face of it a highly unsuitable babysitter—moves in, trailing her chaotic past behind her, their lives collide with unexpected results. In the year they live together, companionship, intimacy, and humor create a friendship full of vitality and mutual respect—as well as something of a family life. Marie Desplechin details this emotional terrain with delicate grace and irony. At once desperate and hopeful, Sans Moi explores the nature of friendship and the complicated dynamics of learning how to love and be loved.

Sans Moi

Literature & Fiction

DESPLECHIN, MARIE

Contemporary

Picador

Poor Little Witch Girl

At age eleven, Verbena hasn't shown a single sign of talent for witchcraft. And worse than that--she wants to be normal. In fact, she even dreams of settling down someday and getting married! But with a mother who tells you that a) you're a witch and b) a husband won't be much use to you--how can anything feel normal? But there is hope in the form of a loving grandmother―also a witch―who takes Verbena under her wing and shows her that casting spells and causing supernatural things to take place―is not so bad after all. Told in alternating points of view, Poor Little Witch Girl is the funny, tender story of a mom who knows exactly what she wants her daughter to be, and a daughter who just wants to be herself. In the end, maybe the two aren't so different after all?

Children's Books

Bloomsbury USA Childrens

At age eleven, Verbena hasn't shown a single sign of talent for witchcraft. And worse than that--she wants to be normal. In fact, she even dreams of settling down someday and getting married! But with a mother who tells you that a) you're a witch and b) a husband won't be much use to you--how can anything feel normal? But there is hope in the form of a loving grandmother--also a witch--who takes Verbena under her wing and shows her that casting spells and causing supernatural things to take place--is not so bad after all. Told in alternating points of view, Poor Little Witch Girl is the funny, tender story of a mom who knows exactly what she wants her daughter to be, and a daughter who just wants to be herself. In the end, maybe the two aren't so different after all?

Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

The narrator, educated and professional, could not be more different from her babysitter Olivia, a sometime prostitute getting off on heroin. Confronted by the challenges of life, the two find that companionship, intimacy and humour create a friendship full of vitality and respect.

History & Criticism

Granta Books

Marie Desplechin's debut collection of short stories explores life and love in contemporary Paris. Here are the trials and tribulations of sex in the city, as - with alarming frequency - her heroines' affairs fail to measure up to their expectations. They're not asking for much: but how much is too much? How long should they wait? And what should they do in the meantime?

Taking It to Heart

Literary

Trop sensibles

Genre Fiction

POINTS

Une mère divorcée héberge chez elle une jeune femme à la dérive pour qu'elle s'occupe de ses enfants. A travers des confessions souvent hasardeuses ou au détour de phrases assassines de la jeune fille au pair, l' écrivaine découvre le passé monstrueux de sa protégée, jusqu'à en perdre foi à la vie.L'écriture de Marie Desplechin n'est pas aisée et mérite toute notre attention.C'est un livre dur, âpre mais indispensable à lire.

Sans Moi (French Edition)

Editions Du Seuil

Dragons

«Rien n''est plus étrange que de faire l''amour avec quelqu''un qui est votre ami depuis des années. »Lorsqu''une jeune femme couche avec son meilleur ami, rien ne va plus. Le lendemain, elle pleure. Il y a des journées comme ça... Un pas de plus, ce sont onze petites nouvelles incisives et drôles. Avec son style sobre, sa générosité et cette faculté à saisir les petits riens de la vie pour en faire de grands livres, Marie Desplechin démontre ici toute la richesse de son talent.«Marie Desplechin dépeint nos amertumes comme nos faiblesses, nos petites joies et nos grands bonheurs. Sans morale, comme ça, par petites touches, comme si de rien n''était. » - Télérama

Un pas de plus

La Belle Adèle

GALLIMARD JEUNE

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DESPLECHIN, MARIE. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by DESPLECHIN, MARIE

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DESPLECHIN, MARIE. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Sans Moi

Poor Little Witch Girl

Poor Little Witch Girl

Sans Moi

Taking It to Heart

Trop sensibles

Sans Moi (French Edition)

Dragons

Un pas de plus

La Belle Adèle