Lean on Me

When a flock of crows invades their shared apartment block, farmer-turned-debt collector Ludovic and fashion designer Aurore speak for the first time. With nothing but the birds in common, the two are destined for separate lives, yet are drawn inexplicably together.

Though their story is set in Paris, the tale of Ludovic and Aurore is far from an idyllic romance. With one trapped in an unhappy marriage and the other lost in grief, the city of love has brought each of them only isolation and pain. As Aurore faces losing her business and Ludovic questions the ethics of his job, they begin a passionate affair. Love between such different people seems doomed to failure, but for these two unhappy souls trapped in ruthless worlds, perhaps loving one another is the greatest form of resistance.

From the award winning author of Wild Dog, Lean on Me is explores the realities of unlikely love, and how connection and intimacy offer us an escape from all that is harsh and cold in our modern day lives.
Winner of the prestigious Prix Interallié, Lean on Me is both a touching love story, an insightful look at the alienating effect of contemporary urban life.

About the author

Serge Joncour is a novelist and screenwriter. He was born in Paris in 1961 and studied philosophy at university before deciding to become a writer. He wrote the screenplay for Sarah's Key starring Kristin Scott Thomas, released in 2011. Wild Dog, winner of the Prix Landerneau des Lecteurs in France, is the first of his novels to be published in English.

Summary

A prize-winning bestseller in France, this is the unlikely love story of two lonely people in present-day Paris.

Foreword

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Additional text

Praise for Wild Dog 

A Strong Words Magazine Book of the Year 2020

A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star

‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books

‘So original, so beautifully done, and sinister and savage. I didn’t want it to end’ Chris Whitaker, author of Tall Oaks

‘Wild Dog details a disturbing continuum of savagery, both animal and human. At once eerie and sensual, it’s a timely reminder that, no matter how sophisticated we believe ourselves to be, we are no match for nature’ The Guardian

‘The suspense seeps from each exquisitely crafted sentence, taking the reader into a world replete with complex emotional and moral dilemmas... a raw, brutal and magnificent literary experience’ European Literature Network

‘Wild Dog is a magnificent philosophical thriller… a novel pregnant with suspense and unpredictability, wickedly tense and portentous, doom laden’ NB Magazine

‘Packed tightly with suspenseful moments and a consistently ominous atmosphere’ Crime Fiction Lover




‘Serge Joncour has perfected his work down to the very last detail.’ Le Parisien

‘Some books have an unexpectedly powerful effect on you. Lean on Me, despite its deceptively calm title, is one of these, [with] lyrical lines that stay with you long after the book is closed’ Elle

‘A terrific love story.’ Livres Hebdo

‘A love story that also paints an image of society and is interspersed with humour, tenderness and intelligence. Joncour ... is in his element. Clearly, we can lean on him.’ L’Express

Report

Praise for Wild Dog

A Strong Words Magazine Book of the Year 2020
A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction' Toronto Star

'Reads like a modern fairy tale' New York Journal of Books

'So original, so beautifully done, and sinister and savage. I didn't want it to end' Chris Whitaker, author of Tall Oaks

'Wild Dog details a disturbing continuum of savagery, both animal and human. At once eerie and sensual, it's a timely reminder that, no matter how sophisticated we believe ourselves to be, we are no match for nature' The Guardian

'The suspense seeps from each exquisitely crafted sentence, taking the reader into a world replete with complex emotional and moral dilemmas... a raw, brutal and magnificent literary experience' European Literature Network

'Wild Dog is a magnificent philosophical thriller... a novel pregnant with suspense and unpredictability, wickedly tense and portentous, doom laden' NB Magazine

'Packed tightly with suspenseful moments and a consistently ominous atmosphere' Crime Fiction Lover
'Serge Joncour has perfected his work down to the very last detail.' Le Parisien
'Some books have an unexpectedly powerful effect on you. Lean on Me, despite its deceptively calm title, is one of these, [with] lyrical lines that stay with you long after the book is closed' Elle
'A terrific love story.' Livres Hebdo
'A love story that also paints an image of society and is interspersed with humour, tenderness and intelligence. Joncour ... is in his element. Clearly, we can lean on him.' L'Express

Product details

• Authors: Serge Joncour, Joncour Serge
• Assisted by: Jane Aitken (Translation), Aitken Jane (Translation)
• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.03.2022
• EAN: 9781910477885
• ISBN: 978-1-910477-88-5
• No. of pages: 384
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; FICTION / Romance / Contemporary, FICTION / Literary, FICTION / Psychological, FICTION / Noir, Narrative theme: Social issues, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Paris (City), FICTION / Urban & Street Lit, Modern and Contemporary romance