Grandson of a legendary rugby player, son of a legendary rugby player, and he himself a legendary rugby player, Jo Canavero raises his only son, Tom, in a small village in the Tarn region. To the great displeasure of Jo, thirteen-year-old Tom is as good at math as he is useless on the rugby field. For a Canavero, the legend can't stop there, even if it means setting up a rugby team specifically for Tom, despite the wishes of the whole village and of Tom himself.

Jo's Boy

It's 1832,  22-year-old Raphaël's gambling has driven him to the brink of suicide. As he is about to throw himself in the Seine, a shopkeeper offers him something: a mysterious "skin of sorrow", which will grant all his wishes, but in doing so will shrink his remaining time on earth.