Eighty-year-old, newly widowed, newly retired, Noah Selvaggio travels to his hometown Nice, France with an envelope full of mysterious photos and his great-nephew.
Micheal Jerome Young is an impoverished (think of the expanded definition), very America eleven-year-old. What will he think of France?
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
Published in 2019
It's World War II, you're living in Nice, France. Do you...
A) Work for the Resistance
B) Wait and see what happens--even though it's pretty clear what is happening to your Jewish neighbours
C)Collaborate with the Nazis
It's 2017, during a trip to France you discover evidence that seems to indicate that a beloved relative collaborated with the Nazis. What do you do?
'[A]lthough so many had claimed afterward to have been involved in the Resistance, only around two percent--mainly students and immigrants--had actually committed themselves. Perhaps another eight percent had taken timid steps.' (p. 101)
'And after all, didn't [Noah's] kind manage to ignore today's awful wrongs? Read the paper, shook their heads regretfully, sipped their lattes.' (p. 102)Emma Donoghue has crafted yet another compelling read. As there are rather long chapters, I'm thankfully for the page breaks.
Things I'd like to ask Emma Donoghue--given the opportunity...
1)I recall an interview in which you said that your son had inspired Room. Did your son inspire this novel as well?
2)Why is Noah so quick to think the worse of his beloved relative with very little evidence when the opposite could be equally as likely?
3)Was writing about Noah's obvious irritation with grammar and other language issues mistakes therapeutic for you?
Here are some questions Emma Donoghue has answered.
Next Sunday evening...
I'll share a short story I wrote recently for this upcoming event...
I'll share a short story I wrote recently for this upcoming event...
Storyteller evening--with music
at the Agricultural Society Hall
on Mayne Island, BC
at 7:30 PM
on Saturday, November 30th
on Saturday, November 30th
