Description

Book Synopsis

An absorbing bildungsroman that tells the story of three sisters amidst France’s rapid transformation in the '70s

Three sisters were born into a modest Catholic family in Aix-en-Provence. Sabine, the eldest, dreams of an artist’s life in Paris; Hélène, the middle girl, grows up divided between the bourgeois environment of Neuilly-sur-Seine and the simple life led by her parents; Mariette, the youngest, learns the secrets and silences of a dazzling and crazy world.

In 1970, French society is changing. Women have emancipated themselves whilst men have lost their bearings, and the three sisters, each in their own way, find ways to live a life of their own—a strong life, far from the morality, education, and the religion of their childhood.

This family chronicle, which takes us from the May 1968 protests to the 1981 elections, is as much a tender and tragic stroll through the 20th century as it is the chronicle of an era, where consciousnesses are awakening to the upheaval of the world, and heralding the chaos to come.



Trade Review
“A beautiful story of familial love.” * ActuaLitté *
“A book filled with tenderness." * La Croix *
“[A] gem of a novel … Heartstopping and heartbreaking.” * The Independent on Beside the Sea *
“The brilliance of Véronique's writing is that you become intimately acquainted with the speaker's thoughts … it unlocks you from the inside.” * Lisa Dwan (Actress, star of Bloodlands and Top Boy) *
“Full of wonder.” * The New York Times on Bakhita *

Daughters Beyond Command

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    £14.24

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    RRP £14.99 – you save £0.75 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 31 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Véronique Olmi, Alison Anderson

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Daughters Beyond Command by Véronique Olmi

      Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 29/09/2022
      ISBN13: 9781787704039, 978-1787704039
      ISBN10: 1787704033

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      An absorbing bildungsroman that tells the story of three sisters amidst France’s rapid transformation in the '70s

      Three sisters were born into a modest Catholic family in Aix-en-Provence. Sabine, the eldest, dreams of an artist’s life in Paris; Hélène, the middle girl, grows up divided between the bourgeois environment of Neuilly-sur-Seine and the simple life led by her parents; Mariette, the youngest, learns the secrets and silences of a dazzling and crazy world.

      In 1970, French society is changing. Women have emancipated themselves whilst men have lost their bearings, and the three sisters, each in their own way, find ways to live a life of their own—a strong life, far from the morality, education, and the religion of their childhood.

      This family chronicle, which takes us from the May 1968 protests to the 1981 elections, is as much a tender and tragic stroll through the 20th century as it is the chronicle of an era, where consciousnesses are awakening to the upheaval of the world, and heralding the chaos to come.



      Trade Review
      “A beautiful story of familial love.” * ActuaLitté *
      “A book filled with tenderness." * La Croix *
      “[A] gem of a novel … Heartstopping and heartbreaking.” * The Independent on Beside the Sea *
      “The brilliance of Véronique's writing is that you become intimately acquainted with the speaker's thoughts … it unlocks you from the inside.” * Lisa Dwan (Actress, star of Bloodlands and Top Boy) *
      “Full of wonder.” * The New York Times on Bakhita *

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