La Mer – The body crème

Authors: Emily St. John Mandel, François Guérif, Gérard de Chergé

Publishing House: Rivages

Publication Date: March 2020

On Vancouver Island stands a hotel with glass walls, only accessible by sea. It is frequented by an exclusive clientele that wants to break with “connected civilization”. There, no wifi, no cell phone, we’re at the end of the world.

Paul, an aspiring composer, and his sister Vincent, an amateur videographer, all work at the Hotel Caiette. One evening, while waiting for the arrival of the New York billionaire Jonathan Alkaitis, the manager discovers with horror a tag engraved on one of the transparent walls: “What if you swallow broken glass?” Who is the author of this threatening graffiti? Is it intended for someone?

In this luxury haven, people meet, destinies are made and fall apart. At the Caiette Hotel, but also in Vancouver and New York, lives will take an unexpected and often dramatic turn. As a butterfly in Brazil can cause a storm in Texas, a drink at the Hotel Caiette bar can ruin an existence…