Valérie Perrin, the author of the four novels and the eight million copies sold: "As soon as you write about kindness, it seems that you do light literature"

Valérie Perrin, the French author behind four novels and over eight million copies sold worldwide, has spoken candidly about the challenges and triumphs of her literary journey. Her latest work, Cambiar el agua de las flores, translated as Changing the Water of the Flowers, has continued its success in Spain, following the release of Tatú, which was published last August. The book, originally released in 2018, marked a turning point in Perrin’s career, establishing her as an international bestseller. Now, with her new novel continuing to resonate with readers, she reflects on how writing about kindness can sometimes be perceived as light literature. Perrin began her writing career after a long professional life in cinema, photography, and screenwriting, including collaborations with renowned director Claude Lelouch. She launched her debut novel in 2015, having little idea whether it would ever see publication. The second novel, written with a sense of experimentation, featured a cemetery caretaker, a subject many might find unusual. Yet, against all odds, it found an audience. Over the past decade, Perrin has authored four novels, each more successful than the last, culminating in global sales exceeding eight million and a translation into forty languages. Her works have become cultural phenomena in countries such as Italy, Brazil, and Spain, alongside France. The narrative of Cambiar el agua de las flores unfolds almost entirely within a small cemetery in Borgoña, where Violette Toussaint, the protagonist, serves as a guardian. She tends to flowers, listens to visitors, prepares coffee for mourners, and observes how grief gradually transforms into memory. A police inspector arrives seeking to fulfill his mother’s final wishes, setting off an investigation that uncovers hidden wounds among the characters. At the heart of this story lies a deeper exploration of memory, loss, and the possibility of living beyond tragedy. Despite the emotional weight of the plot, Perrin insists the novel is not about death itself. Rather, it is about living. “It’s about living while you can walk, feel, love, share,” she explains. Many readers believe the book speaks of sadness, but she says the true message is one of connection and renewal. After finishing the novel, readers often want to call loved ones, make peace with someone, or take a family trip. “Because we never know what might happen tomorrow,” she adds. “Life is so fleeting.” Perrin frequently uses the word “live” throughout interviews, emphasizing its importance in both her writing and personal philosophy. While her books explore themes of absence, family secrets, violence, and mortality, they rarely dwell on these subjects permanently. Instead, they use them as catalysts for questioning how we move forward when life seems broken. This balance between gravity and vitality defines her storytelling style. Violette, though deeply wounded, does not become a tragic heroine. Her strength emerges from an unlikely place in contemporary fiction: kindness. “People need to feel good inside a book,” Perrin argues. “That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about pain, death, or violence. On the contrary, but we also need love, friendship, hope, and solidarity.” Humor plays a crucial role too. “Just as in our lives, if we don’t laugh every day, everything becomes very sad. Without humor, life is impossible.” Her novels consistently strike this delicate balance between the somber and the vibrant, capturing both the harshness and beauty of existence. In Cambiar el agua de las flores, the cemetery is filled with burials and farewells, yet it also holds moments of warmth and resilience. As the story progresses, the interplay between sorrow and joy becomes increasingly evident, reflecting Perrin’s belief in the enduring power of human connection.