Told in a French Garden

A chance reunion in July 1914 brings together a disparate group of former classmates—six men, two women, a narrator, and a youthful outsider—who have drifted apart over the years. Among them are a German‑trained doctor, a weary lawyer, a world‑traveling journalist, a virtuoso violinist, a sculptor living in his famous father’s shadow, a cynical critic, a nurse, and a wealthy divorcée with an eye for new philosophies. Their personalities clash and mingle as they set out for a single day’s escape into the French countryside.

When a missed train leaves them stranded, they seek refuge with an elderly widow whose remote farmhouse opens onto a riotous garden of roses, dahlias, poppies and winding vines. The lush, sun‑drenched setting becomes a quiet stage for old conversations, tentative confessions, and the subtle reawakening of bonds once thought dormant. As they wander among the blossoms, each guest finds a moment to reflect on the paths they have taken—and the possibilities that still lie ahead.