The elegance of the hedgehog

Lots of layers to this book beyond the simple plot of two social misfits – one a 54 year old French concierge in an upper-class apartment building, the other the precocious 12 year old daughter of one of the families in the building – discovering each other for the first time and finding themselves kindred souls.

Renee, the concierge, has gone to incredible lengths to hide her true intelligence and gifts in order to fit into the world around her. Paloma, the young girl, is the ‘black sheep' in her Paris bourgeois family, extremely intelligent and witty, yet also a master of the art of self-preservation behind the mask of oddness and mediocrity.

The plot shifts from Renee's humorous, witty, satirical descriptions of the families in the building and the social dynamics playing out between them, to Paloma's journal entries on her plans to end her life on her 13th birthday because the futility of the social drama she sees played out around her seems too much to bear. Her journal is her attempt to record her profound thoughts and find a reason the world isn't as hopeless as it seems.

I was captivated by Renee's dissection of the social “theater” she sees every day, her explanations and philosophical arguments applied to art, literature, and the world. Paloma's journal hits the mark, too. Her journal entries can be both hilarious and sad at the same time. I found myself re-reading whole passages of this book because the insights were so accurate, yet put in a fresh, succinct perspective. Both characters have rational, philosophical views and I was often struck by their deep understanding of ideas and life.

I also categorized this book as armchair-travel because the description of French life and culture is so prevalent. I felt like I was visiting a real part of Paris, yet having my questions about the culture answered along the way. The language and voice of the book flows in such a beautiful way that it makes me wish I could read this book in the original French language.

This book reads like a fable, and I know I will be re-reading it to see what else I might uncover.