Men are forbidden to enter this house, but they are everywhere: slipping in as shadows of the past, reopening emotional wounds, appearing in images of unrealized dreams. Only women live in this house. Very different women, but they all have one thing in common: they don’t want to know anything about love and men. They found peace in this home—one where only a single man can enter, everyone’s favorite, a cat named Jean-Pierre. And husbands and lovers, plumbers and mailmen are forbidden from coming in.
But when a newcomer appears in the house—very young Juliette, who doesn’t even think about giving up on love—the strict rules begin to fall apart. Karin Lamber’s novel, winner of the Belgian Saga Cafe Prize for best debut novel, is a bit sad, ironic, and full of optimism: the story of five women who put an end to love and men, yet suddenly realize that life can be wonderful and exciting—regardless of whether a man is nearby.