Between the sensuality of an Italian summer and the power of emotions played out during adolescence, an addictive and incandescent coming of age novel that already sold 12 000 copies in print when self-published.

1996, Nicolette is sent to Italy to look after the two young boys of a rich Franco-Italian family. For the student, who dreams of travel and emancipation, this immersion in the grandiose landscapes of the Dolomites is the beginning of an adventure.

There, she meets Faustine, the daughter in the family who is just a year or two younger than she is. Faustine is as sunny as she is mysterious; their complicity is immediate. Together, through unforgettable parties, first romantic stirrings and trips to the lake, they experience an absolute concentration of life. However, there remains an elusive part in Faustine, which escapes her friend: something like an unfathomable sorrow, which disturbs the euphoria of their summer nights. So much so that Nicolette realizes that she was brought there to look after Faustine rather than the two boys.

As one secret after another is revealed, Nicolette makes discoveries that are about to forever change her relationship with the world and with friendship.

Marie-Haude Mériguet was born in 1983 in Paris. Creator of the blog “Marie Grain de sel”, she now devotes her time to writing. Vivantes is her second novel