The Red Notebook

Laurent Letellier, a bookseller in Paris, spots a handbag left behind on a street. Nothing inside gives the owner's name, though the bag holds plenty of other belongings. He feels a strong pull to track her down.

Laurent studies the contents for clues to who she might be. The item that draws him most is a red notebook full of her jottings, and reading it makes him want to meet her more than before.

The obstacle is simple to state and hard to solve. He has no name and only a few of her possessions to work from, and she is one woman among millions in the city.

This is a light, gentle novel with a whimsical, mildly satirical tone, built around a small mystery of identity rather than any danger. The search moves through everyday Paris, and the pleasure lies in watching a stranger be pieced together from objects and handwriting. Readers of French fiction in a charming, fable-like vein will recognise the mood.