Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I had a bit of a hard time with this book but the ending really made the difference for me and left me with a higher opinion.
This is one of those books that made me feel I definitely wasn't smart enough to read it - it waxes on about various philosophies, art, music - plus it takes place in Paris so there were some language and cultural issues.
But it was a sweet story at the heart of it all - Renee is the concierge of an apartment building filled with rich and pretentious people. She makes no impact on their lives except to fill a role. She plays that role well - to them she is gruff, unattractive, watches too much TV. However, she is a self-taught intellectual who loves music, art, philosophy.
Paloma is a 12-year-old in the apartment building who is extremely intelligent and is planning on killing herself before her 13th birthday. Like Renee, she plays a role - doesn't appear too smart, exasperates her family with her quirks.
Things change in the building when a wealthy Japanese man, Ozu, moves into the building. He is able to see through them both.
This takes some time (and in my case, some skimming of long paragraphs!) but the end is worth the read.
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