Excerpt from The Postcard by Anne Berest, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"Maman," I said. "I don't think cigarette smoke is very good for the baby's brain development."

"Oh, it's all right. I smoked a pack a day during all of my pregnancies, and you three all turned out fine."

Her answer made me chuckle. Lélia took advantage of the pause to light another cigarette. Then she began to tell me about the lives of Ephraïm, Emma, Noémie, and Jacques. The four names on the postcard.

Excerpted from The Postcard by Anne Berest, originally published as La carte postale, copyright Anne Berest 2021. Translation by Tina Kover, copyright 2023 Europa Editions.