The sequel to Chéri, set in Paris after the First World War. Chéri returns from the conflict to find the world he knew has changed, and he struggles to fit into a life that seems dull and empty. He is haunted by memories of Léa, the older woman he once loved, and wonders whether the past can be recovered. Colette treats these themes with restraint and a sombre tone. The novel is a quiet study of disillusion, memory and time.