Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A car journey from Paris to the French countryside could reveal some secrets..
Breaking Away
What you need to know before your trail
In Breaking Away, Anna Gavalda examines what it means for brothers and sisters when everyone grows up and often grows apart. A tender reminder to grab life while you can.
Garance, her sister Lola, their brother Simon and his wife Carine are driving out of Paris to a cousin’s wedding in the country and on the way one of them at least has to pull over and sleep at the Hotel Cold Shoulder…
Its an easy-to-follow and funny and poignant read with a realistic portrayal of a family’s nostalgia for times gone by and opportunities gone with them.
Travel Guide
A car journey with some nostalgic stops along the way:
On the car journey to a wedding, the relationships between siblings are at the core of the story
A They drive out of Paris via Place Clichy
B Drive past the outskirts of Orleans
C Le Mans where Carine’s father owns a casino – ‘The supermarket not the Las Vegas variety
D They pick Lola up in Châteauroux
E They reminisce over their childhood fun and games at Villiers
As you would expect from a novel set in France, this is a visual feast in word form –
Lola has “eyes as big as Sevres bisque saucers”. There is mention of French radio stations, French road side cafes and French traditions. A picture of France for all the senses.
As one of the characters says – It’s time for our great escape!
Where Next?
