Eight-year-old Benjamin's parents, Pauline and Pierre, don't really have fun or even talk much any more; they can hardly see the point in staying together these days. But then, Benjamin's scores in his weekly dictation test take a sharp nosedive and it's all hands on deck to save their child's education and the family reputation. Pauline even ropes in an eminent and elderly member of the Académie Française to lend a glamorous hand to their efforts to help their son. And her plan crystallises around their traditional, end-of-term summer picnic in the famous Parisian park of Buttes-Chaumont. How better to celebrate the end of school and start of the summer than by having everyone do one last, great dictation? And what better dictation for all the picnickers to attempt than the legendarily difficult one composed by Prosper Mérimée for the Emperor Napoleon?In this soufflé-light tale of love and grammar lost and regained, Antoine Laurain is the surest guide to what really matters in life. Which is perfect spelling - of course...



Antoine Laurain was born in Paris and is a journalist, antiques collector and award-winning author of twelve novels, including The Red Notebook and The President's Hat. His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris, France.Louise Rogers Lalaurie was born in south-east Wales and lives near Fontainebleau, south of Paris, where she has worked, raised a family and supported them through many a French dictée, for the past thirty-five years. Her translations of fiction by Frédéric Dard, Serge Joncour and Antoine Laurain are all available from Pushkin Press.



Here is an author who helps us see la vie en rose, even when times are grey



In this compact, funny and charming novel, Antoine Laurain puts an oddly appealing spin on this infamous cornerstone of the French education.



A hymn to la vie Parisienne



A master storyteller



Delicious and just right for the season: ten out of ten!



A joyful and tender tale



Antoine Laurain is a force for good to humanity!