Valérie Tong Cuong

De todos es sabido que un solo hecho, en un solo instante, puede cambiar el curso de una vida. Llámese Dios o dioses —en singular o plural, con minúscula o mayúscula—, azar o divina providencia, parece como si una mano invisible ordenara de forma caprichosa los acontecimientos para regir nuestro destino, y la conciencia de esta vulnerabilidad es el rasgo que nos hace más humanos. Valérie Tong Cuong —autora de sólido prestigio en Francia con seis novelas publicadas en su haber— ha escrito una historia luminosa y cautivadora, con algo de sabor surrealista, sobre unos personajes que, desgastados por la vida, conservan aún una inmensa capacidad para ser felices.… (meer)

This was a Library book and in typical french fashion there was just enough information on the cover to give a clue to its subject matter. It said that it was a novel which spellbindingly leads us from L'Havre under German Occupation to Algeria and it follows the destiny of ordinary heroic people whose secret lives form part of the larger history. It was published in 2017.

The story begins on 10 June 1940: war has been declared on Germany the previous year and Lucie a young girl starts the novel, by introducing us to her family and saying that everyone was convinced that the french army would repel any German invasion attempt. Her father Joffre has been drafted into the army with his brother Louis and the family left behind in L'Havre consist of her mother Emilie and her older brother Jean, her Aunt Muguette married to Louis and her children Joseph and Marline. After the child's introduction the story is taken up by Muguette and it is now later in June 1940: and it is now a different story the french army have not repelled the invasion and have sued for peace. Joffre has managed to get back home a defeated man, but Louis has been taken prisoner. The next person to take up the story is Emilie and then she passes the baton to Jean. By the time Muguette takes up the story again it is October 1941 she has fallen ill and her two children Joseph and Marline have been evacuated to Algeria. The only person outside the family that tells the story is Joffre's friend Thuriau who works as a navigator on the boat that takes the children to Algeria. Marline who has lost her speaking voice wraps the story up in August 1945 after the liberation of the town by the Allies.

L'Havre was the town that suffered more than most during the German Occupation. Situated on the North West coast of France it was at once identified as a town that would be crucial for defence against any attempt to liberate France and so the port was heavily defended. The french citizens suffered from a strict enforcement of the Occupation and soon lost any freedom. Public buildings such as schools were turned into military barracks, a rationing system was introduced and the port area soon became out of bounds. However once rumours of a liberating army circulated in 1943 things got much worse for the french when the Allied airforce started to bomb the town. In fact the English airforce reduced the town to rubble during the period from June 1944 to September 1944, when the German commander refused to sue for an armistice. The families description of a town under occupation becomes a story of survival under extreme military bombardment, they did not know what was worse the German Occupation or the English airforce who were intent on destroying the town.

The story as told in the first person by family members works well because it was necessary for them to keep secrets from each other to save their loved ones from German reprisals, therefore we get a full picture, and can sympathise with each member of the family. The only criticism that I would make is that the characters are not given more of an individual voice by the author, it feels to me more like a device to tell a complete story and this it certainly does well. I was unaware of the deprivations suffered by L'Havre during the war and so it filled a gap in my knowledge. Valerie Tong Cuong lists the materials of her research at the back of the book which includes a few witness statement. It all boils down to a dramatic story of survival of a family during wartime by an author who also achieves her aim of telling the story of the town of L'Havre. A four star read… (meer)

When Pax, a middle-aged second-rate actor, scores an audition for a blockbuster, he is convinced fate has taken pity on him and he will finally get to spend some time in the limelight. He leaves his flat in a hurry, ignoring the alarming sounds coming from the apartment above.

He is beside himself when he learns what devastating consequences his decision had: not only was his neighbour Alex assaulted and left for dead, he is also his girlfriend Emi's son.

Pax is faced with an impossible choice: should he continue to deceive Emi, the one person who always believed in him, or tell the truth and destroy their relationship?

This was a quick read for me and an enjoyable one too!

The narration of this plot wasn't that good but it was a very thought provoking book. Sometimes we take selfish decisions in our life without realising the consequences it might create and how it might come back to haunt us later in life.

I wish the ending would have been a little better and more elaborate but this book is definitely worth a read !!

Thank You to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!!… (meer)

Histoire d'un famille havraise durant la deuxième guerre mondiale.
Les différents membres de cette famille relatent leur guerre et nous permet de voir suivant que ce soit le père, la mère, la fille ou le fils, les cousins, la tante, un même événement mais sous l'aspect adulte ou enfant.
Un livre intéressant aussi bien d'un aspect historique qu'humain. Habitant le Havre j'y ai retrouvé les souvenirs de ma famille ayant subi l'exode et les bombardements, très documenté on découvre ainsi les vrais raisons de la destruction systématique de cette ville.… (meer)