The French Guesthouse

About the book

At times, the only path to rebuilding lies in confronting the past you attempted to run away from...

After losing everything in a devastating fire that destroyed her cherished hotel and discovering that her fiancé was unfaithful, Fliss receives another blow: her estranged mother has passed away. Despite their fifteen-year separation and Fliss's deliberate avoidance of her mother for the sake of self-preservation, she is now called to a run-down guesthouse in France for the reading of the will.

To Fliss's surprise, she inherits all of her mother's belongings. However, this legacy comes with a price - both tangible and emotional. Alongside her mother's grief-stricken, alcohol-fueled partner, Etienne, Fliss finds herself sharing the house with his guarded yet alluring nephew, Benoit.

As Fliss embarks on the task of restoring the guesthouse, she begins to uncover long-concealed secrets about her mother, their shared history, and the true consequences of her prolonged absence. Yet, in order to move forward, alleviate her guilt, and embrace the love and happiness she believed she was unworthy of, Fliss must confront the most difficult question of all: can she find it in herself to forgive?

This profoundly moving and intricately woven tale delves into the complexities of relationships, intergenerational trauma, and the human capacity for forgiveness. From the renowned author of The Summer Trip comes a novel that will captivate and resonate with readers.