A choice of love, Valérie Forgues
I wrote it a little earlier this year, but let me reiterate: it takes courage to create a work like A Choice of Love. Valérie Forgues writes here about non-maternity and abortion with great finesse and intelligence. Supported by the voices of other writers such as Annie Ernaux, she offers us a moving read that leaves us with a little tear – accompanied by a smile.
Sad Tiger, Snow Sinno
We can assume that writing a novel that denounces incest is not an easy task. Even less when it comes to your own history. But Neige Sinno doesn't just indulge in Sad Tiger. She also takes her readers by the hand to encourage them to think about sexual violence. With her breathtaking and straightforward writing, the French author offers a book from which we do not emerge completely unscathed.
In open areas, Sebastian Ibarra Gutiérrez
Who would have thought that the terms “minerals,” “limestone,” and “tin” had the potential to be the focus of a poetry collection? À Terre Ouvert, which was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Awards earlier this year, still rises to its challenge. As a trained mining engineer, Sebastián Ibarra Gutiérrez skillfully immerses us in his engaging world. By stirring up the dust, it causes all the stones between its sides to glow.
Self-portrait of another, Élise Turcotte
There are coincidences that cannot be invented, that are hard to believe. It is fascinating to discover those who connect the fate of Élise Turcotte with that of her aunt. Self-portrait of someone else. Here, the novelist connects parts of her life with that of the mysterious Denise Brosseau, mixing reflections on art and writing. All without a thread sticking out.
Jim, François Schuiten
François Schuiten touches our hearts with the tip of his pencil. Both the drawings and the short sentences in his latest comic shocked me completely this fall. By writing about the disappearance of his dog Jim, the Belgian cartoonist captures on paper the absence and sadness that follows the death of his loyal friend.