This month, Anthony presents a novel full of mystery and sweetness, inspired by a true story. In 1930, the melting ice led to the discovery of human remains in Svalbard (a Norwegian archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean). The connection was quickly made with three explorers who had gone on a balloon mission at the end of the 19th century. Photographic films were also discovered at the site. Realizing that their days were numbered, the three adventurers decided to leave a trace of their weeks of wandering through a series of photographs. Hélène Gaudy discovered these black and white prints at an exhibition and then had the idea of bringing them to life. From them, she imagined the life and last days of these three adventurers who found themselves trapped on this island near the North Pole.
The story and creation of this novel fascinated me and Anthony still gets chills today when he thinks about it. Reading this novel carried by the fine and precise writing of Hélène Gaudy only reinforced this impression. He therefore wishes to share with you this book that you will read in one go and that you will not forget any time soon!
Samuel’s favorite Imagining the Rain by Santiago Pajares Actes Sud
Samuel finally offers one of his greatest favorites! Imagine the Rain is the story of a woman and her son who live isolated in a vast desert A love and deep tenderness bind them but, as the pages turn, it seems that the mother has been preparing her son for years for a test or a challenge to come… What is she hiding from him? What happened to them to adopt such a difficult way of life?
Aurore’s favorite Age Tendre by Clementine Beauvais J’ai Lu
Warning, this future reading promises you good moments of laughter and a lot of tenderness! Clémentine Beauvais is one of Aurore’s favorite authors. Full of humor, her texts are always very funny.
Valentin is the young hero of Age Tender . Forced to do civic service, he is sent to Boulogne-sur-Mer, in retirement home for people with Alzheimer’s. What’s special about the place? The EHPAD is entirely decorated in the colors of the 60s and 70s to remind the residents of a period that is familiar to them. For those nostalgic for those years or enthusiasts (like Aurore) it’s a real treat.
To make a good impression when he arrives, he declares that he is a fan of Françoise Hardy, whom he doesn’t know at all. This is rather fitting for one of the residents who took part in a competition in the magazine “Salut les Copains” in 1967. The key to the competition is a meeting with the famous singer from the yéyé years, who must sing her favourite song ” La maison où j’ai grandir” ( The House Where I Grew Up ). Valentin’s first mission is all set, he agrees to bring the Françoise Hardy of the sixties to the EHPAD!
We discover the wanderings of a teenager who is not very confident but endearing, who, through contact with the boarders, his fellow civic service students, and the staff, evolves and learns to know himself throughout the story. At the crossroads between a coming-of-age novel and a futuristic novel, ÂgeTendree is a sensitive story, full of humor, nostalgia, and endearing characters, in which Clémentine Beauvais comes to distills small criticisms of our society… always with a lot of humor and delicacy.
The best thing about the novel? The story takes the form of Valentin’s internship report. A daring choice, but one that, in my opinion, gives the text character and brings it to life.
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