The novel tells the wistful yet enchanting story of Lucie's grandmother in suggestive images, who, as a very young unmarried mother, gave her daughter up for adoption after giving birth. It depicts how Lucie's mother leaves her husband and ultimately her daughter. In search of security, Lucie increasingly withdraws into herself while outside a scorching summer numbs all the senses. Infused with the scents and aromas of the South, the deeply moving story of Estelle, Aline, and Lucie is a small impressionistic masterpiece. In doing so, Karin Richner continues a literary tradition reminiscent of Marguerite Duras and Nathalie Sarraute.