Rights sold to Germany (Rowohlt)
Sixteen-year-old Camille is a shy, solitary teenager. When she meets Stanislas, nicknamed Fringe-face, she is transformed into a seductive and cruel young woman.
At twenty-five and now a writer, Camille decides to trace her first love whom she has turned into a character in her novels. At first wary, the man who is now the youngest ever manager of the fifth biggest bank on Wall Street eventually gives in.
Blissfully in love, Camille and Stanislas set up home in London, in the heart of the City, living it up in the latest venues, spending without counting the cost… and growing bored.
As a final spree, they undertake a trans-continental trip of the United States. Four thousand miles of guilt and lies, alcohol and shallowness. Each stage of the journey pulls them further apart; the closer they come to their goal, the more they lose sight of each other. And yet they were once so in love.
In this novel about a particular generation in a particular social class, Camille de Peretti is disconcertingly frank in her exploration of what it means to love, from thunderbolt to betrayal. She shines a ruthless light on our weakness and on the private arrangements we make with our own hearts.
Camille de Peretti is the author of Thornytorinx (Belfond, 2005; winner of the Chambéry first novel prize), Nous sommes cruels (Stock, 2006), Nous vieillirons ensemble (Stock, 2008) and La Casati (Stock, 2011).
