Women as seen through the eyes of men! Set in a Paris restaurant, a reunion of old school friends provides a vehicle for the telling of after-dinner anecdotes on the theme of male–female relationships. A chance meeting, a moment of love, a tender memory, a bitter one.

The stories unfold in North Africa and France across the twentieth century. A fine irony runs through the book, as much a work of social criticism as human romance. One story harks back to childhood, another chronicles the ravages of old age. Some are poignant, others are wry and witty, all are wise and well observed. A recurrent theme emerges in the way that, for Albert Memmi, an individual woman in her uniqueness embodies the essence of all femininity. He pays homage to women, as only a man who loves them can do.