Ladivine

Longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016.

Clarisse Riviere's life is shaped by a refusal to admit to her husband Richard and to her daughter Ladivine that her mother is a poor black housekeeper. Instead, weighed down by guilt, she pretends to be an orphan, visiting her mother in secret and telling no-one of her real identity as Malinka, daughter of Ladivine Sylla.

In time, her lies turn against her. Richard leaves Clarisse, frustrated by the unbridgeable, indecipherable gulf between them. Clarisse is devastated, but finds solace in a new man, Freddy Moliger, who is let into the secret about her mother, and is even introduced to her.

But Ladivine, her daughter, who is now married herself, cannot shake a bad feeling about her mother's new lover, convinced that he can bring only chaos and pain into her life. When she is proved right, in the most tragic circumstances, the only comfort the family can turn to requires a leap of faith beyond any they could have imagined.

Centred around three generations of women, whose seemingly cursed lineage is defined by the weight of origins, the pain of alienation and the legacy of shame, LADIVINE is a beguiling story of secrets, lies, guilt and forgiveness by one of Europe's most unique literary voices.

Translated from the French by Jordan Stump

“Ladivine is a wonder indeed ... like a saga that you never want to end because each page reveals new riches .”

A work of immense power and mystery ... a wild ghost story, rooted in immigration and exile. Perfect, both poignant and strangely hopeful - New York Times

Ladivine is a wonder indeed ... like a saga that you never want to end because each page reveals new riches. - Liberation

A sumptuously written novel by a writer at the height of her powers. - Telerama

With its unique phrasing, slow, multi-layered, and each sentence an absolute necessity, Ladivine is a new delight - BiblioObs

Ladivine is a real jewel... impeccable craftsmanship, refined phrasing that swirls with description, and a bewitching story. All of the author's talents are on display here. - Express

Marie NDiaye's new novel is magnificent. A mesmerising dive into the chaos in the lineage of three women. - LaLibreBelgique

NDiaye's manner of writing has often been compared to Proust ... Here she has created a world of mystery, dreams, and sensuality in a very controlled style. - World Literature Today

In this unique book, Marie NDiaye displays tough, brittle lives in majestic style. - Dagens Nyheter

Marie NDiaye was born in France in 1967. She published her first novel at seventeen, and has won the Prix Femina (Rosie Carpe in 2001) and the Prix Goncourt (Three Strong Women, 2009). Her play Papa Doit Manger has been taken into the repertoire of the Comedie Fran aise. In 2007, after the election of Nicolas Sarkozy, NDiaye left France with her family to live in Berlin.

Longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016. Clarisse Riviere's life is shaped by a refusal to admit to her husband Richard and to her daughter Ladivine that her mother is a poor black housekeeper. Instead, weighed down by guilt, she pretends to be an orphan, visiting her mother in secret and telling no-one of her real identity as Malinka, daughter of Ladivine Sylla. In time, her lies turn against her. Richard leaves Clarisse, frustrated by the unbridgeable, indecipherable gulf between them. Clarisse is devastated, but finds solace in a new man, Freddy Moliger, who is let into the secret about her mother, and is even introduced to her. But Ladivine, her daughter, who is now married herself, cannot shake a bad feeling about her mother's new lover, convinced that he can bring only chaos and pain into her life. When she is proved right, in the most tragic circumstances, the only comfort the family can turn to requires a leap of faith beyond any they could have imagined.Centred around three generations of women, whose seemingly cursed lineage is defined by the weight of origins, the pain of alienation and the legacy of shame, LADIVINE is a beguiling story of secrets, lies, guilt and forgiveness by one of Europe's most unique literary voices. Translated from the French by Jordan Stump

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