The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I very much enjoyed The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ,set in an old apartment building in Paris. The two main characters, Renee Michel, the building concierge, and Palome Josse, a precocious 12 year old girl, tell their stories in the first person, in different fonts. They are very similar characters as they try to hide their intelligence. When the owner of one of the apartments dies, it is sold - a rare event as they are usually passed to another family member. The new owner is a perceptive and intelligent Japanese man, Kakuro Ozu who changes the lives of Renee and Palome. The book has a slow start and the characters seem at first to be arrogant and pretentious - but please persevere. A beautiful and well-written book. 4/5.