Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin and narrated by Elisabeth Lagelée is an emotional, heart-rending and yet inspiring story of Justine, a nursing assistant in a retirement home. Told in multiple timelines and povs, the novel is grounded around the retirement home and its residents and employees.

There are a great many layers to this story, all of which are relatable on a human level. I experienced every emotion that I have and some I did not realise I had, but all point to an incredible story well told and well read

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Valerie Perrin and the narrator Elisabeth Lagelee for this beautiful ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own 

“I feel nostalgic, nostalgic for what I’ve not yet lived.”

Set in the small town of Milly, France, Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin (translated by Hildegarde Serle) revolves around twenty-one-year-old Justine Neige, a nursing assistant working at a retirement home named The Hydrangeas. Justine is an orphan, raised by her grandparents with her cousin Jules, after their parents perished in a road accident when they were children. She is close to Jules, whom she considers more her brother than cousin. In terms of personal relationships, she chooses to indulge in casual flings and consciously shies away from deeper romantic relationships. She genuinely enjoys her job caring for the elderly and spends much of her time listening to their stories. She is particularly close to ninety-six-year-old Hélène Hel. Encouraged by Hélène’s grandson, Justine begins to write Hélène’s story – her love for Lucien, the WWII years, and the events and choices that shaped Hélène and Lucien’s lives. Hélène’s revelations inspire Justine to reflect on her own life and seek answers to questions about her family history and the tragedy that upended their lives. As the narrative progresses, we follow Justine as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and Hélène as she relives her memories. The retirement home also faces a trying situation when an anonymous caller devises a creative strategy of ensuring that its residents are not “forgotten on Sunday” by relatives who are reluctant to visit them.

“You know, when you've lost the person you loved most in the world, you lose her every day.”

This is my third time reading Valérie Perrin. I loved both Fresh Water for Flowers and Three and was eager to read Forgotten on Sunday, which was her debut novel only recently translated into English and I’m glad to say I was not disappointed!

Revolving around themes of friendship, family, love, loss, remembrance, and healing, this is a beautifully penned, profoundly moving story that inspires thought and reflection. Valérie Perrin’s characters are always well thought out - complex, flawed and thus, realistic and relatable. The author seamlessly weaves multiple timelines into a compelling narrative. I was invested in Justine’s journey and found Hélène’s story captivating and loved how the author brings all the threads of the story together. The tone of this novel leans toward melancholic, though there are splashes of humor to be found in the story. I loved the symbolism of the seagull and how the author depicts the significance of the same in both past and present timelines. This is a relatively short novel, but the author takes no shortcuts and allows us the opportunity to explore these characters – their motivations, their dreams, triumphs and regrets - with much depth and insight. The author addresses several sensitive topics -aging, loneliness, the horrors of war, trauma, grief, self-acceptance and the importance of human connection – with maturity and compassion.

This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have turned the last page.

"Life takes away and gives back at the same time."

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Elisabeth Lagelée who does a remarkable job of breathing life into the story. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC via NetGalley.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I greatly enjoyed the writing style and how much you are drawn into the characters, but otherwise, I struggled with this book. It was difficult for me to follow the different timelines and truly understand all plot points. Some points there was way too much detail, to the point of making me uncomfortable, but other plot points seemed to be lacking. It is also very slow, especially for someone who is branching out from thrillers. I also had to keep reminding myself that Justine was only 21. In some scenarios she seems older but mostly, she seems very young in the way she acts and responds. That being said, I end with more positive feelings than negative. It also made me more emotional than I would have thought it would have. I like the idea of the phantom caller, not to the full extent of the sinister nature, but in its results. I also liked the love story within the love story. I also hope that there are people who do go through nursing homes and collect stories. I think that would be a fascinating project and a worthwhile compendium to read. The only thing I wonder though is how did Justine get the story when it seemed like Helene was always "at the beach"? I can only assume that she caught her at some good times or maybe others filled it in. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. I believe this novel and the topics within will stay with me for quite some time.

Pros: Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and the What Should I Read Next podcast has been raving about Valerie Perrin, so I was excited to see this book, which is her debut, on NetGalley. I read this book in one sitting because I was curious to learn about the pasts of the characters and to discover twists along the way. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style (and, I assume, the work of the translator) and immediately put Fresh Water for Flowers on my to-read list.

I switched between ebook and audiobook to read this book, and it was great on both formats. I especially enjoyed the audiobook narration and hearing the names spoken with a French accent. 

Cons: I did not love every plot point, but that won’t keep me from reading more from the author. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Europa Editions, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this book.