I'm Still Here (Je Suis Là)
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- USD 13.99
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- USD 13.99
Descripción editorial
An irresistible, modern take on Sleeping Beauty, for fans of Jojo Moyes and David Nicholls.
Elsa has been in a coma for five months. With all hope of reviving her gone, her family and doctors are having to face the devastating fact that it might be time to turn off her life support... They don't realise that in the past few weeks Elsa has regained partial consciousness; she knows where she is and can hear everyone talking around her bed, but she has no way of telling them she's there.
Thibault is in the same hospital visiting his brother, a drunk driver responsible for the deaths of two teenage girls. Thibault's emotions are in turmoil and, needing a retreat, he finds his way into Elsa's room. Seeing her lying there so peacefully, he finds it hard to believe she is not just sleeping.
Thibault begins to visit Elsa regularly. As he learns more about her through her family and friends, he begins to realise that he is developing feelings for her. And when he talks to her, he can't help feeling that she can hear his every word...
For Elsa, his visits are like a breath of fresh air. Here is finally someone who speaks to her as if she is a real life person. Who makes her laugh. And who gives her something to fight for...
And so begins a love story that might just save both their lives...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A woman in a coma and a man in despair change each other's lives in this romantic debut novel. Elsa Bilier has been in a coma for 20 weeks, but recently regained her sense of hearing. Thibault Gramont drives his mother to the hospital to visit his injured brother, but is himself too disgusted with his brother who killed two teenagers while driving drunk to join the visits. When Thibault enters a random room, seeking escape, he finds Elsa. By the end of this odd encounter, Elsa hopes her friendly stranger will return, and he does. Thibault's visits bolster Elsa's determination to emerge from her coma, and her predicament inspires Thibault to start living his life differently, in hopes that they can someday share their lives. Both Elsa and Thibault display a refreshing combination of traits Elsa's adventurous streak as a glacier climber mixed with her humorous romantic nature; Thibault's adoration of his goddaughter mixed with genuine rage at his brother and each possesses a limpid, compulsive voice. However, the development of the romance is slightly lopsided. It is understandable that Elsa's attachment to this kind newcomer develops into love, but Thibault's emotional journey is less relatable. Though the reader knows that Elsa enjoys his company, Thibault himself cannot know this, and is thus in the unattractive role of a man entranced by a woman who can voice neither her opinions nor her consent. Nevertheless, Avit's novel succeeds thanks to the sheer charm of its narrators.