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Billie
Billie | Anna Gavalda
8 posts | 8 read | 4 to read
A number 1 bestseller in France and translated into over twenty languages, Billie is one of the most beloved French novels to be published in recent years. A brilliant evocation of Paris and a moving tale of friendship, Anna Gavaldas new novel tells the story of two young people, Billie and Franck, who, as the story opens, are trapped in a gorge in the Cevennes Mountains. With darkness encroaching, their situation is dire, and Billie begins to tell stories from their lives in order to survive. In alternating episodes, the novel moves between recollections of the two characters childhoods and their dreadful predicament. Francks life has been impacted by a childhood spent with a perennially unemployed father who toyed with Christian extremism and a mother aestheticized by antidepressants. A bright kid, Francks future was menaced at every turn by the bigotry around him. Billies abiding wish as an adult is to avoid ever having to come into contact with her family again. To escape from her abusive and alcohol-addled family, she was willing to do anything and everything. The wounds have not entirely healed. At the heart of Gavaldas tender story lies a generosity of spirit that will take readers breath away, and an unshakable belief in the power of art to lift the most fragile among us to new vistas from which they can see futures full of hope, love, and dignity. Billie is a beautifully crafted novel for readers of all ages and from all walks of life that conveys a positive message about overcoming lifes trials and tribulations.
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review
Twocougs
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this novel for a couple of years but had never read it (which is weird for me because I usually everything I can that is French). I adored it. It‘s quirky, sad, uplifting, and funny. Just ordered three more books by Anna Gavalda.

33 likes1 stack add
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ReadingEnvy
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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Mehso-so

Hey look! I finally read a short novel. New to me author that I'll be looking into more - it's always interesting to me when a subset of my friends are excited about an author I've never heard of (I bought this because it was europa editions.)

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Buechersuechtling
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Panpan

Das Buch reißt einen nicht vom Hocker. Franck kommt darin über weite Strecken nicht vor. Und Billie bleibt blaß. Von ihr bleibt hängen, dass sie gern jammert – und nicht dass sie‘s „geschafft“ hat. Sie gefällt sich in der Rolle des Mädchens, das gerettet werden muss, statt, wenn sie schon erkennt, wo es hakt, was dran zu ändern. ?

Erzählt wird das alles zäh und langweilig, so dass ich verstehe, dass der Stern ihr was hustet.

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Buechersuechtling
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?? https://www.fischerverlage.de/buch/anna_gavalda_nur_wer_faellt_lernt_fliegen/978...

Auch wenn mich die Inhaltsangabe nicht überzeugt hat und ich deswegen um dieses Hörbuch herumgeschlichen bin wie die Katze um den heißen Brei, kann ich nach etwa der Hälfte (2 Stunden) sagen, dass es ganz okay ist.

Bloß mit dem Theaterstück „Man spielt nicht mit der Liebe“ wurde ich nicht warm. Dabei soll es eine zentrale Rolle spielen.

3 likes1 comment
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ReadosaurusText
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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My reading for 5 days in Paris! I'm covering the gamut: a classic, a guidebook, and a contemporary translation of a French bestselling novel. 🇫🇷

moranadatter Have a wonderful trip! 8y
ReadosaurusText @kmdartist Thanks! I see a lot of wine in my future. 🍷 8y
10 likes2 comments
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mrldg
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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"We both knew where we had come from and each time we saw the other happy, we enjoyed it ourselves, and we also enjoyed it because we had triumphed over the crappy hand we were dealt."

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Amyegia
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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My TBR stack for before the baby is daunting! I better schedule some kind of reading day...

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Amyegia
Billie | Anna Gavalda
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Look what I stumbled upon on my impromptu book trip with my brother yesterday!!

12 likes2 stack adds