A very special bottle of wine sends 4 neighbors back to 1950s Paris, where they each find the key to a happy future
“A glorious time-slip caper... Just wonderful” — Daily Mail
When Hubert Larnaudie, chair of the management committee at his Parisian apartment building, makes an out-of-character decision to invite some fellow residents to drink an exceptional bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its unique properties.
The following morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Airbnb tenant Bob, who's visiting from Milwaukee. After their initial shock, the city of Edith Piaf and An American in Paris begins to work its charm on the time travelers, providing unexpected solutions to the problems they left in the future. Julien pines for Magalie; but she’s too focused on the traumatic death of her parents when she was small to notice that he loves her. Bob’s wife Goldie is stuck in a coma, and Hubert is obsessed with the foolish decisions that led his ancestors to lose the family fortune. Through chance encounters and the magic of one of Paris’s golden eras, each time traveler will find the key they were looking for.
But, delightful as 1954 is, they need to work out how to get back to 2017 – because how will they live out a happy future if they’re stuck in the past?
"This refreshing novel compensates with engaging storytelling, fun characters, and vivid scenery. Highly recommended." —Library Journal
Antoine Laurain is the award-winning author of ten novels including The Red Notebook (Indie Next, MIBA bestseller) and The President's Hat (Waterstones Book Club, Indies Introduce). His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris, France. Beginning in in 2025, more than a dozen of his greatest works will be published in North America by Pushkin Press.
Jane Aitken is a publisher and translator from the French.
A very special bottle of wine sends 4 neighbors back to 1950s Paris, where they each find the key to a happy future
“A glorious time-slip caper... Just wonderful” — Daily Mail
When Hubert Larnaudie, chair of the management committee at his Parisian apartment building, makes an out-of-character decision to invite some fellow residents to drink an exceptional bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its unique properties.
The following morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Airbnb tenant Bob, who's visiting from Milwaukee. After their initial shock, the city of Edith Piaf and An American in Paris begins to work its charm on the time travelers, providing unexpected solutions to the problems they left in the future. Julien pines for Magalie; but she’s too focused on the traumatic death of her parents when she was small to notice that he loves her. Bob’s wife Goldie is stuck in a coma, and Hubert is obsessed with the foolish decisions that led his ancestors to lose the family fortune. Through chance encounters and the magic of one of Paris’s golden eras, each time traveler will find the key they were looking for.
But, delightful as 1954 is, they need to work out how to get back to 2017 – because how will they live out a happy future if they’re stuck in the past?
Reviews
"This refreshing novel compensates with engaging storytelling, fun characters, and vivid scenery. Highly recommended." —Library Journal
Author
Antoine Laurain is the award-winning author of ten novels including The Red Notebook (Indie Next, MIBA bestseller) and The President's Hat (Waterstones Book Club, Indies Introduce). His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris, France. Beginning in in 2025, more than a dozen of his greatest works will be published in North America by Pushkin Press.
Jane Aitken is a publisher and translator from the French.
