Forgotten on Sunday

This is a real and achingly powerful book that will linger in you mind long after you close the book. Not only is this a beautifully written book, but it has been exquisitely translated from the original French by Hildegarde Serle. This book was a powerhouse of emotions that struck very close to home as a caregiver to my aging parents who has spend many hours in care homes and hospitals around the aged. The presence of the narrator throughout this book drew me into her story and showed, with such awareness of the value of life and the power of compassion and empathy, that life is to experienced in Life and In Storytelling. Told in a dual aspect style, Justine is trying to find her way through life as a 21 year old orphan who lives with show more her family and works in a care facility where she meets Helene, a 100 year old resident, and begins to follow the story of the older woman during the war. With the eye of a writer and her blue notebook to capture the stories she hears, Justine captures and shares with the reader Helene's story. This is a story told with all the bleakness and devastation of the war on the lives, bodies, and emotions of French, but it also shows the glimpses of love and hope and moments of joy that were found there as well.

To be honest, this book has left me thinking about the power of connection between us all and the need we have share our stories before they, like Helene, just fade away before our eyes almost without notice until we stop, ponder, seek out connection. With our individual story threads held fast in our own hands they are tenuous, precious, and isolated from support; however, once we bring those threads together and begin to plait and weave them together do those fragile threads become part of a collective, powerful and age defying story told via tapestry of our shared humanity. To remind us of what us good, rejoice in what is gifted. Mourn what is lost. And guide to reflect that all this IS what is to be human.

Haunting. Powerful. Compelling. Beautiful. Human. These are qualities of Perrin's story and Serle's translation that make this a book that will linger in my mind for a long time

Thank you Eeuropa Editions for an amazing international read that is a permanently on my shelves. show less

Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin is a deeply human, character-driven romance mystery.
This story follows Justine, a young caregiver working in a nursing home, whose quiet life takes on new meaning when she forms a bond with Hélène, an elderly resident with a past full of love and loss. As Hélène recounts her memories, a tender and nostalgic romance unfolds—one marked by devotion, heartbreak, and long-buried secrets.
Alongside this, Justine is navigating her own unresolved grief, particularly the mystery surrounding her parents’ tragic death. The narrative moves gracefully between past and present, weaving together these threads into a story about memory, healing, and the enduring power of love.
Perrin balances sadness with show more warmth and gentle humor, capturing the dignity and emotional richness of the elderly and their stories. The novel reminds us how the past continues to shape us, and how connection—across generations—can bring understanding and peace.
A moving and comforting read, highly recommended for those who appreciate reflective, emotional storytelling and the quiet beauty found in everyday lives. show less

“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 show more 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. show less

Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrinis a highly recommended story which follows an unlikely friendship, the consequences of undeclared love, and healing the wounds of a broken past. This was Perrin's highly regarded 2015 debut novel and has been translated into English by Hildegarde Serle for the first time.

Justine Neige, 21, is a nursing assistant at the Hydrangeas, a retirement home in the small French town of Milly. As she cares for the residents, she also listens to their stories and often works unpaid overtime to assist them. She is particularly drawn to Hélène Hel, 96, who gradually reveals the story of her life and the tragedy of her lover’s disappearance during WWII. Justine carefully writes down Hélène's story in a blue show more notebook, which she has promised to give to her grandson, Roman. Justine also tells Hélène about her life.

In her personal life, Justine and her cousin Jules live with her grandparents after the death of both of their parents (their fathers were twins) in a car crash. Justine was 5, Jules 2, when this happened. Her grandmother is suicidal. Her grandfather is taciturn. Now, beyond work, Justine enjoys dancing and frequently spending the night with a man whose name she doesn't bother to learn.

There are mysteries taking place too. An anonymous person is calling the relatives of unvisited nursing home residents, those "forgotten on Sunday," and claiming to be representing the Hydrangeas. The caller is falsely informing them that their relatives living there have died. The police, such as they are in the small town, are investigating. While talking to the police, Justine learns that there were some suspicions behind the death of her and Jules parents.

This is a poetically written, sensitive, elegant, melancholy novel. The narrative moves between the present day events in Justine's life and the past, mainly the story of Hélène. In both timelines secrets, trauma, love (undeclared, and forbidden), revenge, attraction, and friendships are explored. The relationship between Justine and Hélène is essential to the story. Thanks to Europa Editions for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/05/forgotten-on-sunday.html show less

I loved Valérie Perrin’s novels Fresh Water for Flowers (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2020/11/review-of-fresh-water-for-flowers-by.html) and Three (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2022/06/review-of-three-by-valerie-perrin-new.html) so was excited to learn that her debut novel, Forgotten on Sunday, has been translated. Though not as polished as Fresh Water for Flowers, it is still a good read.

Twenty-one-year-old Justine Neige is a geriatric nursing assistant working at a retirement home in a small French village. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised by her paternal grandparents with whom she still lives, along with her also-orphaned cousin Jules. Justine loves her job at the seniors’ home and spends a lot of time show more listening to residents’ stories. She becomes particularly close to 96-year-old Hélène Hel whose story she decides to write.

The book tells Hélène’s story, especially her romance with Lucien Perrin. But it also tells Justine’s story. The narrative alternates between the two women, Justine’s sections being narrated in the first person. We learn about the deaths of Justine’s parents, her work at The Hydrangeas retirement home, and her regular one-night stands with a man whose name she doesn’t even know. We also read about the car accident that claimed both Justine and Jules’ parents, an accident which Justine comes to realize is connected to secrets kept by both Gramps and Gran.

Another mystery is the identity of the anonymous caller who phones families of residents who seem to have been forgotten because they haven’t had visitors on Sundays, the regular day for family visits. The caller falsely announces the deaths of these residents, thereby forcing relatives to visit. The phone calls are traced to The Hydrangeas, but who is the mystery caller?

Justine is a character the reader cannot but like. She is devoted to the residents who are not always easy to care for. She does a lot of unpaid overtime so she can listen to residents’ stories. Her actions indicate she’s warm, patient, sensitive, empathetic, and caring. She saves money so Jules will be able to attend university but doesn’t want him to know that she’s the one paying for his education. What makes her convincing is that she also has flaws. She’s insecure about her appearance; more than once she compares herself to others and concludes she is not pretty. She also makes cruel comments intended to hurt, “to take my revenge.”

Love is a major theme. Hélène experienced a love that survived separation and time. This is the type of love Justine hopes to find: “I tell myself that what I don’t find pretty about me will one day be someone’s beautiful. Someone who’ll love me and become my artist. Who’ll continue me. Who’ll take me from rough sketch to masterpiece.” She wants to be as lucky as her best friend Jo who has found a soulmate in her husband Patrick. Ironically, it’s obvious that What’s-his-name is very interested, but Justine seems to fear commitment. Perhaps Hélène , who didn't agree to a marriage because it was "not love as she'd imagined it, the love that leaves you reeling," tells her story to Justine because she sees some of herself in the young woman. Justine seems towant a handsome Prince Charming, not a man who has poor taste in his clothes.

I did find some events problematic. I had difficulty accepting Edna’s actions, especially when it comes to her daughter. Justine sees What’s-his-name regularly but doesn’t ask him any questions, not even his name and occupation? Armand’s secret relationship also stretches the reader’s credibility, and parts of the closing border on over-sentimentality.

Regardless, there is much to love in the book. The challenges of aging and the inevitability of death are not glossed over. I enjoyed the character connections between Hélène’s story and Justine’s (Rose, Roman, Claude, Fatiha). The touches of humour are delightful. Because of the drama, romance, and mystery, there is something for everyone; parts are heart-breaking but others are heart-warming. For me, reading the book was an immersive experience.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) for over a thousand book reviews. show less

As much as I enjoyed the premise of this book and the characters I found it confusing with the non linear timeline and the jumps in time between past and present. I listened to the audio version of this book and if the narrator had prefaced each chapter with the year in question it would have helped me out quite a bit. I think the story is lyrically written and somewhat tragic, so a plus for that. The two interconnected stories of past and present come together in the end beautifully and I was completely satisfied. This is a work of literary fiction that makes the reader really think. Recommended. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for a chance to listen/read an ARC audio version of this book.

My first novel by Valerie Perrin and what a captivating and entertaining read this was. I couldn't put it down and read it over 24 hours.

Justine is 21 years old and has lived with her grandparents and cousin Jules since the death of her parents. She works as a carer at a retirement home and spends her days listening to her residents' stories.
After bonding with Hélène, an almost 100-year-old resident, the two women slowly reveal their stories to one another. Whilst Justine helps Hélène to relive her memories of love and war, Hélène encourages Justine to confront the secrets of her own past, and the loss she has buried deep within.

This is a multi-layered story, It is storytelling at its best, I was absolutely captivated by the show more story and characters and can’t wait to read more from this author. show less