Description
Book SynopsisBased loosely on the author's life, this novel recounts the narrator's journey following the footsteps of his Mauritius-born grandfather, Maxime, who abruptly boarded a boat bound for Madagascar in 1922 and never returned. Michaël Ferrier tells a tale of discovery as well as the elusive, colorful story of Maxime's life.
Trade ReviewPraise for the original French edition:
“Remarkable. . . . Michaël Ferrier explodes all boundaries, all borders, geographical and mental. . . . This very topical book is essential reading.”—Muriel Mingaud,
Le Populaire “Resplendent.”—Bertrand Leclair,
Le Monde “This rich novel (the term does not do the work justice) lives up to its title [and is] driven by a conviction to record the reality of a world made from diversity.”—Valérie Marin la Meslée,
Le Point “What is the only thing that can fight against death? Memory. That’s it. Ferrier has written an adventure novel on memory, a singularly intelligent novel.”—Vincent Roy,
Art Press "As Ferrier interlaces his family’s intimate story with the larger story of colonialism’s lasting and complicated impact—including the racial and ethnic divisions it fomented—he engages with critical issues in contemporary France concerning national and cultural identity."—
Repeating IslandsTable of ContentsForeword
A Man Leaving
France and Its Offshoots
The Red Circus
In Praise of the Acrobat
Boxing by the Waterside
Queer-Looking Specimen
Mixed-Race Montaigne
The Colonial Specter
Creole Jazz Band
Presences of the Plague
The Madagascar Project
The War of the Airwaves
Walkway of Lonely Death
Epilogu
