The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Renée Michel is the concierge of an upscale Paris apartment building, and she hides the fact that she is deeply learned. Paloma Josse, a brilliant and troubled twelve-year-old who lives in the building, sees through her, and the arrival of a new tenant changes both their lives. Muriel Barbery, a French philosophy teacher, tells the story through the two of them, with references to books, music, film and painting throughout. It became a bestseller in France after its 2006 release.