I think it's worth reading john williams in the original language as in "free translation" (sic!) anne gavalda: language is superb, wonderful sense of drama, as is touching the life of this modest assistant- university professor Province, poorly integrated in academia because of the depth of his inner life and his spiritual and intellectual needs ... and even if it's between 1914 and 1940, all this is so present! this also is also a beautiful novel about psychological and sociographic America of that time!