LE JOUR Où J'AI APPRIS À VIVRE

A new radiant and joyful novel by bestselling author Laurent Gounelle

A great feel-good novel which calls on us to assess our own lives and shows how we can be the architects of our own happiness. Recently divorced, father to little Chloé, Jonathan leads a home life that is prosaic enough. His professional life, however, is more taxing: for an insurance agent, every day is a struggle to make ends meet, in particular given trying economic circumstances. It's not always possible to stick to one's moral values. And the fact that Angela, his ex-wife, is also a partner at work, doesn't make life any easier. One summer's day, while out on a stroll through the city, Jonathan has his palm read by a mystic who, visibly shaken, foretells his impending death. Although he does not really believe in these things, Jonathan is unsettled by this doom-laden announcement. Soon the thought begins to obsess him, to the point that he can no longer fulfil his duties at work as before. Jonathan starts to question the meaning of his life. What if everything were brought to an end tomorrow? He leaves to recharge his batteries at his aunt's, the wise and joyful Margie, a former biologist who founded a research institute for neuroscience and "unexplained" phenomena. During his stay, she puts Jonathan through a series of experiments based on real scientific observations. His time with her will turn Jonathan's vision of life, his life, on its head.