All That Remains - by Virginie Grimaldi (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A funny and moving story of unlikely friendship from the internationally bestselling author of A Good Life

At 33, Iris carries her life around in a suitcase. Théo, 18, has big dreams and aspirations. At 74, Jeanne finds herself contemplating her life in a rearview mirror. When chance brings Iris, an enigmatic young woman; Théo, a brazen young boy, and Jeanne, a discreet lady together under the same roof, these three damaged people will have to learn to live together and face surprising situations. 

This is a moving story of solitude colliding with companionship, of unexpected encounters, and of how the past bleeds into the present and our hopes for the future. Virginie Grimaldi has an unrivalled talent for taking her readers from laughter to tears, and for writing about life with accuracy and sensitivity.

Review Quotes

Praise for A Good Life

"A life-affirming look at how love and dedication can overcome pain and heal scars." --The Washington Post

"Grimaldi is a best-selling author in France, and her bittersweet English-language debut is sure to tug at the heartstrings of readers who appreciate moving novels which explore the complexities of sisterly love and mental illness, such as All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews (2014), or Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee (2018)." --Booklist

"[Grimaldi] sees life as an extended dialogue of sorts, with others and with ourselves. She isn't too concerned about right and wrong, seeing both terms as limiting and beside the point...In Grimaldi's universe, it seems to be about the difficulties and messiness of love and what we must be willing to do to keep it forever." --World Literature Today

"As the sisters tentatively attempt to reconnect, their fractured pasts are slowly revealed in ways that are both sweet and heartbreaking, the story deftly explores all aspects of their lives, from the scars of their girlhoods to the challenges of motherhood, and everything in between."--Paste Magazine

"Virginie Grimaldi delivers her most accomplished, strongest novel. Her best."--Le Parisien

"Grimaldi's concise prose, translated by Hildegarde Serle, is striking and vivid, painting a sympathetic portrait of the enduring bond of sisterhood. Readers will fall under the spell of a compassionately revealed story that blends poignancy and humor in depicting the transcendental nature of familial love and forgiveness."--Shelf Awareness

"Chapters rock back and forth like the waves of the ocean...Lovers of Europa Editions' other titles My Brilliant Friend and Fresh Water for Flowers will fall hard for this beautiful, heartbreaking, and healing story. Grab a box of tissues!" --Electric Lit

"Refined, sensitive, and full of humor, as always with Virginie Grimaldi." --Cosmopolitan (France)

"Despite the many dark themes explored in this novel,  A Good Life is ultimately quite joyous . . . It is, in the end, a novel in which its universally relatable plot and vibrant characters are perfectly rendered in deceptively simple prose, and I am sure that readers will love every single word." --Ashley Riggleson, FXBG Advance

"An explosion of emotions." --Paris Normandie

"The idyllic Basque setting sits in contrast to the sisters' recalled heartaches but serves as a balm to their sentimental souls as they recall the nurturing affection Mima provided. Translated from French by Serle, Grimaldi's account of two sisters taking stock of what's brought them this far is affecting but smile producing as well." --Kirkus Reviews