‘Julia Kerninon has been ploughing her own particular furrow for several years now, and we still love her as much as we did at the very start,’ – Marine Landrot, Télérama

‘Julia Kerninon has all the makings of an icon,’ – Nathalie Azoulai, Marianne

‘She has already made her presence felt as one of France’s most promising writers,’ – Jade Laurent, L’Express

‘Julia Kerninon is a huge talent,’ – Jeanne de Ménibus, ELLE

The secret of a woman marked by her first love

They have one important thing in common: they’re alone and far from home. That’s what brings them together in the first place, the uprooted teenager and the family man both exiled in Berlin for one summer. At the age of 17, Liv Maria learns everything from this first love: sensual pleasure, the intensity of intimate conversation, the English language. When her lover goes home to Ireland, she sends him letter after letter. In vain. Fergus doesn’t answer.

A year later, her parents die in a car accident, so Liv Maria, now completely without ties, sets off for Latin America where, for ten years, she lives the life of a free woman, an adventurer, a conqueror. Then she meets Flynn, solid and down-to-earth, and soon marries him.

Flynn is also from Ireland, and the young couple decide to go and live there. For years, family life ticks over, seemingly happy. Two children are born. But Liv Maria is an elusive woman, constantly in search of herself, tormented by a shameful secret.