It was the subject of a film made by Yves Robert in 1990 which is faithful to the original plot but which includes material from the third book in the four-novel series, Le Temps des Secrets.

He describes his almost daily hunting trips with his father Joseph and his uncle Jules, and his growing friendship with a country boy named Lili.

Although only a few kilometers outside Marseilles the journey to the holiday home is time-consuming as public transport takes them a short portion of the way and the rest is a walk along an 8 km, winding road carrying all their possessions.

One day, when travelling to their house, the family encounters one of Marcel's father's former pupils, Bouzigue, who now works in maintaining a canal which runs from the hills into Marseilles.

Marcel's father, being honest and upright realizes that this would amount to trespassing, but while passing through the canals, Joseph is able to spot construction issues that Bouzigue himself did not.

Marcel's father is devastated, believing a complaint could damage his career prospects and he could possibly lose his job as a school teacher.

In a burst of rage he picks up a rock and smashes the door, "ending a bad spell" ; but under a bush of roses, he sees his mother trembling "on the other side of time, [...] forever unaware that she is home with her son."