WINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
A New York Times Notable Book
A deeply affecting account of mothers and daughters, youth and age,
and dreams and reality (Kirkus Reviews)
Upon her mother's death from Alzheimer's, Ernaux embarks on a daunting
journey back through time, as she seeks to capture the real woman, the
one who existed independently from me, born on the outskirts of a small
Normandy town, and who died in the geriatric ward of a hospital in the
suburbs of Paris.
She explores the bond between mother and daughter, tenuous and
unshakable at once, the alienating worlds that separate them, and the
inescapable truth that we must lose the ones we love. In this quietly
powerful tribute, Ernaux attempts to do her mother the greatest justice
she can: to portray her as the individual she was. She writes, I believe
I am writing about my mother because it is my turn to bring her into the
world.