When Clementine and Edouard's last child leaves home, the cracks in their marriage become impossible to ignore. Her work as a perfumer is no longer providing solace and her sense of self is withering. Then, her former lover resurfaces, decades after the end of their bisexual affair, and her world tilts irreversibly. Set in Paris and Provence, this is an intimate portrait of a woman navigating conflicting desires and a troubled past whilst dreaming of a fulfilling future.
"Very, very good - an intense and unflinching expose of desire and its legacy." Elizabeth Buchan
"Vividly passionate ... Costello's prose is reminiscent of masters like Leila Slimani. Thrillingly stylish." Daisy Buchanan