On a beautifully restored barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop; or rather a 'literary apothecary',for this bookseller possesses a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe the troubled souls of his customers.

The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself.

But when an enigmatic new neighbour moves into his eccentric building on Rue Montagnard, Jean is inspired to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence in search of the past - and his beloved.