My friends, my loves

One of the most widely read French authors in the world—with over 17 million copies sold, his novels consistently rank on the French bestseller list and have been translated into 41 languages—Marc Levy returns with another delightful novel. In My Friends, My Loves, the author of What If It Were True—which was adapted into a successful film starring Reese Witherspoon and produced by Steven Spielberg—tells with humor and tenderness the story of Antoine and Mathias, two single parents who reinvent the traditional family structure with originality. Childhood friends, Antoine and Mathias have never lost touch. Both have gone through a divorce and the experience of fatherhood, but while Antoine lives with his son Louis in London, Mathias remains in his native Paris, dissatisfied with his job and struggling with the longing he feels for his daughter, Emily, who also lives in the English capital with her mother. So when Antoine proposes a partnership in a small bookstore in South Kensington, Mathias immediately accepts. But plans need to be adjusted when his ex-wife asks him to take care of their daughter. Mathias and Antoine soon find the perfect solution for raising their children in a family environment: they decide to live together. This alternative family, with two single men in their thirties and two children, has every conceivable advantage, such as sharing household chores and childcare, plus they always have company on weekends. There are only two rules: never use babysitters and don't bring girlfriends home. However, like all families, this one isn't without its problems, especially when Mathias becomes interested in Audrey, a beautiful and ambitious journalist who one day stumbles into the bookstore. As Mathias and Antoine struggle to fulfill their parental duties and manage romantic intrigues and differences of opinion, readers are led to discover the colorful world of the neighborhood and the lives of its neighbors, who intertwine with those of the protagonists. Populated by unforgettable characters, My Friends, My Loves is a touching portrait of contemporary life and another triumph of today's most successful French author. The book was adapted into a film in 2008 in France.