Drowned by the vertiginous flow of literary releases this fall? We continue to guide you to the essential nuggets. By slipping into the skin of an indomitable teenager kidnapped by Boko Haram, Edna O'Brien , the Irish legend of literature, signs, at no less than 88 years old, THE feminist book of the new school year . Three reasons to jump on it:
To understand the workings of Boko Haram
Unless you live in a fairy tale or on another planet, you are well aware that the kidnapping of 276 high school girls by jihadists Boko Haram actually took place in Nigeria in 2014 . Shocked by this giant kidnapping, the Irish writer set out to conduct a three-year investigation and meet former captives to make the heroine of her novel, Maryam . And the result is absolutely frighteningly realistic, especially when the reader understands how the men of Boko Haram manage to deprive the young girl of her humanity: “ I used to be a girl, it's over. I stink. Covered with scabs of blood, my tattered loincloth. My bowels, a quagmire. ”
For her heroine whaou
Although humiliated, abused, raped, the heroine of the novel finds her salvation in her extraordinary courage . It is by escaping from the Boko Haram camp that serious things begin for the badass teenager. With Babby , her baby from her forced marriage in her arms, Maryam crosses forests before reuniting with her loved ones. Far from regaining calm and serenity, the young woman is made guilty of having soiled the blood of the community. Only his unwavering faith in life despite the horror and his stubbornness to fight injustice will illuminate this dark and sublime novel .
To enjoy great literature
After The Little Red Chairs which explored the Bosnian genocide, Edna O'Brien , haunted by violence against women , once again uses her sharp quill to kick the anthill and lift the veil on scorned destinies. Through the terrible monologue of a teenage girl treated like cattle, with an immersive style, the author plunges us into the fury and the fight of a young woman in the face of men's crimes to set the record straight. A powerful and vertiginous novel, of those who say so much in few words.
Girl , Edna O'Brien, Sabine Wespieser, 256 pages, 21 €.
Also discover the literary return of Parisiennes and the new novel by Sophie Fontanel .
