Title: French Leave
Author: Anna Gavalda
Format: Trade Paper (galley)
Publisher: Europa Editions
Pub Date: May 2011
Read: Feb 2011
Purchased: Europa sent me a galley copy when I expressed excitement and interest in reading it
Why: It seemed exactly the kind of story I would like
Fulfills Challenge? Yes.
Notes: This is my first Europa book.
Review/Thoughts:
This was a very slim novel, just over 100 pages. The page count on the site says 140+. I keep trying to figure out if there was something missing from the copy I received, but I can’t tell. I know formatting, font size, etc. can make a difference but I can’t figure out where those additional pages are coming from when the font size actually seems about the same as a typical Europa publication. With that in mind, I’m going to review it anyway, and I’ll update you all later if there is in fact something significant missing from mine.
French Leave, as the English title suggests, is about three siblings who leave a relative’s wedding to meet up with their absentee sibling for the weekend. Abandoning their responsibilities for just a short time, the four meet up to talk, laugh, and reminisce. What I love about French Leave is that it is a deceptively simple story about four siblings just hanging out, but really, this is a story about nostalgia and about the intangible bonds of brother- and sisterhood. Underneath all the whimsy and lighthearted banter, is a bit of sadness, that this moment is coming to an end, that it must come to an end, that these four will inevitably grow up, if not now, then very soon. Their meeting is a last hurrah! of sorts, and that little fact becomes increasingly clear as the story progresses.
This was the first story ever that made me wish I had a sibling or two, or at least that these four were my siblings. Their relationship, the unspoken bonds between them, these things would benice to have sometimes. But I don’t and that’s OK. It’s enough to have capable writers such as Gavalda to allow me to experience these things vicariously, reminding me why I love reading so much.
Final Verdict: 
The copy they sent me (the same, I should think) was 108 pages, and I’m pretty sure there was nothing missing. *shrug*
The Europa website also used to say that it was due out on 5/20/11 and it came out 4/26/11 instead. Whatever. LOL
I noticed that about the publication date as well! I think it said 4/26 on amazon, so somehow they had gotten the right info to them…yet their own website had it wrong XD