Yvan Blanloeil

Stéphane Villiers, a pediatrician in his thirties, leads a carefree life in Bordeaux. This charming man finds it easy to win over one woman’s heart after another, yet he fails to form lasting bonds with the young women he so effortlessly seduces. His life takes a dramatic turn one night when 12-year-old Eva is found sitting in his stairwell; she manages to secure shelter in his home through a clever ruse. With her romantic view of the world, sensational piano playing, and demanding nature, the bright girl quickly breaks through Stéphane’s emotional defenses. The two grow far closer than is socially or professionally advisable. Eva longs to be loved, while Stéphane is forbidden to love. As the doctor grapples with his inner emotional turmoil, he discovers that Eva is suffering from a progressive brain disease and resolves to do everything in his power to save her using a daring new treatment.

A confirmed bachelor, a council employee from a small village, is fascinated by a refined schoolteacher.

French writer recalls her start as the country wife of a Paris publisher who called her erotic work his own.