'Artfully told... readers, propelled by Julian Evans silky-smooth translation, will find the ride in Déon s balloon exhilarating.' - Times Literary SupplementA vivid recreation of the interwar period, Michel Déon's fictionalised memoir is a touching and very true depiction of boyhood and how our early experiences affect us.Édouard (Michel Déon's real name) looks back on his 1920s childhood spent in Paris and Monte Carlo. Within a bourgeois yet unconventional upbringing, 'Teddy', an observant and sensitive boy, must deal with not just the universal trials of growing up, but also the sudden tragedy that strikes at the heart of his family.