Muriel Barbery is the author of six previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted, multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Published in France in 2006 and in the UK in 2008, the novel was translated in 44 countries, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide, and was described by Le Figaro as 'the publishing phenomenon of the decade'. Barbery has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.

LONGLISTED FOR THE PRIX GONCOURT 2022

'Beguiling' Daily Mail

From the bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes the story of one man's promise to keep a secret that may hold him from the greatest joy possible.

Haru, a successful Japanese art dealer, appreciates beauty, harmony, balance, and good sake.

A few months after an affair with Maud, a mysterious Frenchwoman, he learns that she is pregnant with his child. But she issues him a heartbreaking warning: if he ever tries to see her or the child, she will kill herself.

Quietly devastated, Haru respects Maud's wishes. And Rose grows up on the other side of the world, without ever knowing her father. Is it too late to change things?

From international bestseller Muriel Barbery comes a stunning tale of friendship, family secrets, and the enduring love of a father forced to live in the shadows.