Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnès Martin-Lugand

Book 1

Synopsis: Diane seems to have the perfect life. She is a wife, a mother, and the owner of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, a cozy literary cafe in Paris. But when she suddenly loses her beloved husband and daughter in a tragic car accident, the world as she knows it instantly vanishes. Trapped and haunted by her memories, Diane retreats from friends and family, unable and unwilling to move forward.
But one year later, Diane shocks her loved ones and makes the surprising decision to move to a small town on the Irish coast, finally determined to heal and rebuild her life alone—until she meets Edward, the attractive yet taciturn Irish photographer who lives next door. At first abrasive and unwelcoming, Edward initially resents Diane’s intrusion into his life of solitude . . . until he can no longer keep her at arm’s length, and they fall into a surprising and tumultuous romance. But will it last when Diane leaves Ireland, and Edward, for the home she once ran away from in Paris? At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Diane’s story is deeply felt, reminding us that love remembered is love enduring.

Review: At first glance, this novel is not my type. The French cover does not attract me necessarily, the reviews on goodreads are not very good… But when my friend Céline offers me something, I know that I have to get past these things and get into the story and I confess that I’m really happy about it.

Agnès Martin-Lugand presents a very touching story here, a story of reconstruction, a story that is not really simple. Diane is a young woman who has lost everything, her daughter, her husband and since this loss, she can no longer live and she remained outside society for more than a year, with only the visits of her friend, Felix. But as he continues to try to open her to the world, Diane decides one day to leave for Ireland, the country her husband has always wanted to visit.

Yes, it’s a story of reconstruction and I confess that I cried several times when I discovered the story, seeing her suffering and despair. And yet, leaving France will help her to move forward, to discover other people and to open up. I know that many people were disappointed by the end, but I think it could not be otherwise. It could not be anything else. But there is a second volume, and I am now very impatient to read it!

 

 

33 thoughts on “Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnès Martin-Lugand

  1. It seems to be really sad so I don’t know. But then the ending isn’t good? Not for me I don’t think. I will wait and see what you think is the sequel. Great honest review!

  2. Well, I am not a bookish person! Less often I read novels. But the title and cover of this book attracted me. And really it is containing a very realistic story. It touched my heart. The end was good.

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