In 1958, Annie Ernaux, eighteen, spent the summer as a monitor at a camp in Normandy, where she slept with a counselor for the first time and was hurt and humiliated by what followed. The next year she lived in a state of deprivation and shame, a period she tried to forget. Decades later, she studies old photos, letters, and her diary to recover the girl she was, asking what writing can do with such memory.
It suits readers who like autobiography with a sharp intellect and a focus on women's lives, shame, and the body. It is short and exacting, and a good choice for those new to Ernaux.
Deep, inward-looking and contemplative; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2016
- Language
- EN
