Small country : a novel

Title:

Uniform Title:

Petit pays. English

Author:

Faye, Gaël, 1982- author.

Added Author:

Ardizzone, Sarah, 1970-

Personal Author:

Faye, Gaël, 1982- author.

ISBN:

9781524759872

Edition:

First United States edition.

Physical Description:

183 pages ; 22 cm

General Note:

Originally published in France as Petit Pays by Éditions Grasset in 2016.

Abstract:

In Burundi in 1992, ten-year-old Gabriel enjoys carefree days with his friends, but his idyllic existence and his innocence come to a brutal end when Burundi and neighboring Rwanda are hit by civil war and genocide.

Subject Term:

Bildungsromans -- Fiction.

Civil war -- Burundi -- Fiction.

Genocide -- Burundi -- Fiction.

Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Genre:

Summary:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Hull Street	Book	FICTION FAYE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Westover Hills	Book	FICTION FAYE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Already an international sensation and prize-winning bestseller in France, an evocative coming-of-age story of a young boy, a lost childhood and a shattered homeland.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ALBERTINE PRIZE * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE * LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION * LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE

Burundi, 1992. For ten-year-old Gabriel, life in his comfortable expatriate neighborhood of Bujumbura with his French father, Rwandan mother and little sister Ana, is something close to paradise.

These are carefree days of laughter and adventure - sneaking Supermatch cigarettes and gorging on stolen mangoes - as he and his mischievous gang of friends transform their tiny cul-de-sac into their kingdom.

But dark clouds are gathering over this small country, and soon their peaceful existence will shatter when Burundi, and neighboring Rwanda, are brutally hit by civil war and genocide.

A novel of extraordinary power and beauty, Small Country describes an end of innocence as seen through the eyes of a child caught in the maelstrom of history. Shot through with shadows and light, tragedy and humor, it is a stirring tribute not only to a dark chapter in Africa's past, but also to the bright days that preceded it.

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

Faye's debut tells the story of Gabriel, a preteen boy in mid-1990s Burundi when violence from the Rwandan genocide spills over the border.Gabriel wishes he were elsewhere. The social fabric is deteriorating around him. But staying home and reading does not slow the pace of his losses. His mother goes to Rwanda to try to save her Tutsi family members, while his French father stays home to look after the children. Eventually, the killing that was kept at arm's length comes to their street, and Gabriel loses almost everything. Though the situation is rich, it does not become so until about midway through the book. The first half is all calm before the storm: tiffs with other boys, a pen-pal crush, playing and getting into mischief outdoors. Life meanders along without tension or stakes. This might have worked if the language were particularly powerful or evocative. It is not. Awkward phrases Faye (or translator Ardizzone) uses, such as "footsteps to-ing and fro-ing" or "parched flamboyant tree," don't help. The book is not without strong points, including a wonderful paragraph toward the end about a murder that happens in broad daylight as people continue to go about their days. It's a pity the story does not start closer to these events and the language is not as strong throughout.Faye provides an interesting window into Burundi and a reminder of the specious logic and horrific cost of treating others like vermin. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.