What You Need From The Night
Laurent Petitmangin
Translated by Shaun Whiteside
Synopsis
'One of the most exquisite debuts I've read' - Daily Telegraph
'Affecting and haunting' - Observer
After the death of his wife, a father in a forgotten corner of France raises his two sons alone. But their town is not one of opportunity, and the boys are heading down different paths. Gillou sets his sights on university in Paris while Fus falls in with the local far-right group, searching for meaning and belonging with dangerous friends.
How can a father and son find common ground when everything seems set to break them apart? A sudden act of violence will force them to find an answer.
Tense, sharp and ultimately heartbreaking, Laurent Petitmangin's first novel, What You Need From The Night, asks what acts can truly be forgiven.
'A tragedy of unconditional love' - L'Obs
'Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it down'- Libération
'As sublime as it is painful' - Le Parisien
Details
Reviews
A triumph of tamped power and unsutured emotion . . . one of the most exquisite debuts I’ve read for some timeDaily Telegraph
Affecting and hauntingObserver
A short blast of a novel: a howl of pain, impotence and rage. The prose, fluently translated by Shaun Whiteside, is precise and unadornedSpectator
Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it downLibération