About the Book
Adrien, Etienne and Nina are 10 years old when they meet at school and become inseparable. Years later, a car is pulled up from the bottom of a lake, with a body inside. Virginie, a local journalist with an enigmatic past, follows the case. Step by step she reveals the extraordinary bonds that unite the three childhood friends. How is the car wreck connected to their story? Why did their friendship fall apart?
Three is a compelling story of love and loss, hope and grief, and of the distance that comes with the passing of time. A masterly crafted story full of suspense and unexpected plot twists.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:
“This book owns my soul.” Booksnpenguins – 5*
"Valérie Perrin is always a delight." Alexandra Jundler – 5*
"A stellar read that I highly recommend." Paromjit Hayers – 5*
"I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed!" Michelle Coates – 5*
“Three is a totally consuming book that makes it hard to come up for air while reading it.” Jill – 5*
"Such a great book, that I found very hard to put down." Mel – 5*
"One of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read." Alison – 5*
“I’m so dumbstruck by this novel.” June Schwartz – 5*
About the Author :
Valérie Perrin was born in 1967 in Remiremont, in the Vosges Mountains, France. She grew up in Burgundy and settled in Paris in 1986. Her novel Forgotten on Sunday (2015) won the Booksellers Choice Award. Her English-language debut, Fresh Water for Flowers (Europa, 2020) won the Maison de la Presse Prize, the Paperback Readers Prize, and was named a 2020 ABA Indies Introduce and Indie Next List title. It has been translated into over thirty languages. Figaro Littéraire named Perrin one of the ten best-selling authors in France in 2019, and in Italy, Fresh Water for Flowers was the best selling book of 2020. Perrin now lives in Normandy.
Hildegarde Serle graduated from Oxford University. After working as a newspaper subeditor in London, she obtained the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation. She is the translator of Mirror Visitor series.
Review :
"Mesmerizing."
"A sweeping, nostalgia-soaked summer read."
“Startling and effecting, Three is a novel about the refuge found in true friends, and about the mercy of self-acceptance. Perrin’s prose is engrossing, transforming ordinary situations into delectable treats."
"The numerous twists and eye-opening revelations will keep readers riveted. [Three] offers a bounty of rewards."
"A masterly crafted story full of suspense and unexpected plot twists. I savoured every page and couldn’t put it down. I would heartily recommend it."
"A moving hymn to friendship."
"A gem of a novel."
"A beautiful, intensely atmospheric bittersweet dream of a book."
"What may on the surface of it appear gloomy and morose, in Perrin's hands is an appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships."
"Some months ago having read Fresh Water for Flowers by French Author Valerie Perrin I simply had to write a Blog about it. In fact, what I really wanted to do was climb a tower and proclaim it's brilliance to the World.
So I awaited her next novel with fingers and toes crossed that it would be as good. It has arrived, I've read it and it lives up to my dreams in its excellence. Another brilliant novel."
"It’s difficult to convey how brilliant this story is: the translation captures the essence of the book perfectly and it was a joy to read.
"Perrin has a beautiful talent for capturing the atmosphere of small-town France and she has a philosopher's nose for the way in which our lives are really constructed."
What Readers Are Saying (from NetGalley and Goodreads)
“This book feels like a kick in the ass and a caress on the face, at the same time. It owns my soul.” Booksnpenguins – 5*
“I really enjoyed this book right from the start, it was a compelling read with a good writing style, gripping storyline, engaging narrative and well-developed characters that jumped off of the page...” Aria Harlow – 5*
“I’m so dumbstruck by this novel that I feel silly reviewing it: it’s the kind of book I wish I could write. It’s linear in spite of the to and fro in time, it takes its time without dragging, and it’s jammed with details, textures, resonances. When the story comes together, it is effortless, exquisite, and sapid. I highly recommend this novel and will read whatever I can find by Valerie Perrin.” June Schwartz – 5*
"Valérie Perrin is always a delight. I was wondering if/how she could top Fresh Water for Flowers… she maintained the same amount of beauty and expectation." Alexandra Jundler – 5*
"This is wonderful character driven storytelling to immerse yourself in, touching on the universal themes of what it is to be human, our connections and disconnections, identity, family, friendship, love, loss, grief, guilt, sexuality, judgements, bad decisions and betrayal. A stellar read that I highly recommend." Paromjit Hayers – 5*
"Valérie Perrin has an unerring gift for delving deep into life’s depths. Following the thread of a sequence of heart-wrenching, inescapable events over the span of three decades, she draws the reader into a compelling story of love and loss, hope and grief, and of the distance that comes with the passing of time. I still have goosebumps! Omg...... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed!" Michelle Coates – 5*
"Great book, I loved this read." Katie Smith – 5*
"Valerie Perrin has written another incredibly moving and powerful view of contemporary relationships and the joys and tragedies that prevail." Stephen Richard – 5*
“Three is a totally consuming book that makes it hard to come up for air while reading it.” Jill – 5*
"Such a great book, that I found very hard to put down.... deeply satisfying." Mel – 5*
"One of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read." Alison – 5*
"Full of sorrow but with pocketfuls of joy and sunshine along the way, as well as determination and resilience. The writing was exquisite, not in terms of sophisticated vocabulary but in the way the author - and the translator as well - can write and effuse so many emotions into their words." Catarina – 5*
"This is a book that slowly gives us little jigsaw pieces of the puzzle that you can't wait to put together as the two timelines come closer to each other. Full of intrigue and unpredictable twists." Ciara R – 4*
“At first, it reminded me of a slightly saner version of Lize Spit’s “The Melting”. But then, just as I was getting slightly impatient, the story hit me. Hard. Valérie Perrin has done it again!” Anne McCormick – 4*
“A story of family and friendship, conjuring almost every emotion you can imagine - loyalty, betrayal, jealousy, obsession, guilt, for starters - but focusing on how even the closest relationships can conceal so much…. I was fully engaged in the lives of Valerie Perrin’s characters, from their teens to their 40s, and invested in their futures.” Sue Broom - 4*
