The most beautiful book on child friendship: one morning while hunting in the hills, Marcel meets the little peasant, Lili des Bellons. His vacations and his whole life will be illuminated by it.
One year after La Gloire de mon père (My Father’s Glory), Marcel Pagnol thought he would conclude his childhood memories with this Château de ma mère (1958), the second part of what he considered as a diptych, ending with the famous scene of the ferocious guardian frightening the timid Augustine. Little Marcel, after the family tenderness, discovered friendship with the wonderful Lili, undoubtedly the most endearing of his characters. The book closes with a melancholic epilogue, a poignant elegy to the time that has passed. In it, Pagnol strikes a chord of gravity to which he has rarely accustomed his readers.
” Hey friend! “
I saw a boy about my age looking at me sternly. You shouldn’t touch other people’s traps,” he said. “A trap is sacred! ”
– “I wasn’t going to take it,” I said. “I wanted to see the bird.”
He approached: “it was a small peasant. He was, brown, with a fine Provencal face, black eyes and long girlish lashes.”
Buy onlineFor fans of historical fiction, this novel is essential reading. It does not merely recount the 1930s and 40s; it makes you live them through characters you come to love. It reminds us that even in the deepest, darkest winter of the world, the embers of love, courage, and hope never quite go out. Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See , The Nightingale , or the television series The Crown .
