Without compromises or concessions, Annie Ernaux plots the course of the human heart through her "simple passion" for a young married man from another country living in France for a short time. This is the true story of a physical and emotional journey, not a sentimental one. The passion of this short-lived affair is joined by the courage and the exactitude of the narrator wanting to know the truth of her emotions. With extraordinary simplicity, Ernaux exposes her passion without explaining it, and in the end hers is the pleasure of having lived and loved with her eyes open.