The Cracks in Our Armor

In this collection of short stories, all written in the first person, Anna Gavalda has created an ode to those who confront their vulnerabilities and admit their weaknesses. These tales illustrate the importance of moving beyond the wounds of the past and embracing love, friendship, forgiveness, and family. From the trucker who puts his dog to sleep following the death of his son to the alcoholic widow who befriends a stranger raised in a strict military family, readers will find the classic Gavaldian universe on full display in these stories of suffering and salvation.

Born in Paris in 1970, Anna Gavalda published her first work in 1999 while working as a high school French teacher. Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part, a collection of short stories, was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling more than three-quarters of a million copies in her native France. The book was translated into numerous languages and sold in twenty-seven countries. Gavalda has since published three novels, all of which have become bestsellers across Europe. Her first novel, Someone I Loved, was made into a movie in 2000 and the 2007 film adaptation of her novel Hunting and Gathering starred Audrey Tatou. Her most recent work, The Cracks in Our Armor, was shortlisted in the Belles-Lettres Category for the Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) in 2017. In addition to writing novels, Gavalda contributes to Elle Magazine.

Alison Anderson’s translations for Europa Editions include novels by Selim Nassib, Amelie Nothomb, and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. She is the translator of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa, 2008) and The Life of Elves (Europa, 2016) by Muriel Barbery.