Book Review: "A Good Life" by Virginie Grimaldi (translated by Hildegard Serle)

Emma and Agathe are sisters who haven’t seen each other in five years. Growing up, Emma, as the older sister, was always Agathe’s protector and defender. Five years younger, Agathe was prone to tantrums and panic attacks, and yet always looked to her sister for comfort and security.

Their childhood was tumultuous and marked by tragedy, but they spent every summer with their grandparents in the Basque Country. Following the death of their beloved grandmother, the sisters agree to spend a week together at her home, the site of so many memories. While their estrangement and the pent-up hurts and resentments make the reunion challenging, they still are full of love for one another.

The book alternates narration between the sisters, and shifts through time, from their earliest memories to the present, with many stops in between. This is how we understand the sisters’ relationship and what led to their estrangement, as well as if there’s any chance to find their way back to each other.

This is a very slow-burn, character-driven novel. There are some lovely and poignant moments, but I struggled with the book’s pacing. At times there were so many different things happening it was difficult to keep track, but I don’t know if that's because it was translated or just the way it was written.