On a beautifully restored barge moored on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop, or more accurately a 'literary apothecary' -- for this bookseller has a rare gift for sensing precisely which book will soothe the troubled souls of each and every customer. The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. He has been nursing a broken heart ever since the fateful night, twenty-one years ago, when the love of his life fled Paris, leaving behind her only a letter that he has never dared open. His memories and his love have been gathering dust -- until now. The unexpected arrival of a tearful, mysterious new neighbour at his eclectic apartment building in rue Montagnard inspires Jean to put aside his loneliness, unlock his heart and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.
