A CAT IN SANCERRE

A man journeys to France to meet his donor children in Guda’s novel.

As a soldier-turned-artist, Brooks Redgrave has traveled the world taking photographs. After an incident in Tibet makes him question his morals, Brooks decides to give up on his art. He leaves New York City and buys an old boarding house in Connecticut called Battlemore, where he withdraws from the world after breaking up with his girlfriend, Mia. Not until she calls with some life-changing news does Brooks finally feel something again—Mia, living in Paris, has seen a boy named Julien, whom she’s certain is Brooks’ son. It’s a real possibility; in college, Brooks spent a semester in Paris and donated his sperm for money, and the idea of having a son gives him hope. (“It felt sort of like something missing inside me was filled in—like a puzzle piece that I didn’t know was missing until I found it on the floor.”) Curious, he takes a genetic test and gets surprising results: Julien isn’t named, but a young girl named Camille Chastain is, and she’s desperate for Brooks to come to France to meet her and her brother, Thomas. Luckily for Brooks, his neighbor, Sinclair Karam, has somewhat conveniently invested in property in Sancerre, France, and he’s willing to let Brooks stay there. Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, the narrative follows Brooks through the historic and beautifully depicted vineyards of a small town in France as he connects with a colorful cast of locals, bonds with his charming and unique donor children, and finds his way back to art. Guda’s rich and vivid scene-setting makes a compelling backdrop for Brooks’ emotional growth. A tender romance plot is woven seamlessly into the main storyline, and while the novel lacks any major conflicts, it never feels dull.

A captivating and vibrantly crafted journey of self-discovery.