I have not seen the film adapted from the novel (Grand Prize at Cannes in 1997), the story told in the book was thus a full discovery for me. To sum it up in two words my feelings at the end of this reading: successful but heavy. The story of the children taken away in a bus accident is shocking, especially since the author provides an engaging portrait (psychological and sociological) of victims and their families, and that the description of the events preceding the accident is made in detail; we follow the little victims step by step before shipment to their final journey, which is all the more painful (emotionally). We also discover an individual drama alongside the collective drama experienced by the community. This drama is that of Nicole who survived the accident and wearing a dark secret which she will use to change the course of events. This book raises the question of liability (who is responsible, there he has only one responsible?) And a moral question: do we have the right to lie and unfairly prejudice someone name of some-thing just believed. Each judge. This tragic work, very realistic, does not necessarily please everyone, although it is written with great talent.