Canada (French)
175
Delaunois, Angèle (text)
Delezenne, Christine (illus.)
La clé (The key)
Montréal: Éditions de l’Isatis, 2008. – [32] p.
(Tourne-pierre) ISBN 978-2923234-37-3
War – Forced displacement – Refugee – Death
Before being forced from the
homeland, there was grandparents’ house, the sun, olive and orange trees,
and grand-mother’s laughter. But the war first took the men and then the
homeland away. Escape, refugee camps, and the new home at the other end of
the world, where the fight against cold and loneliness continues, make the
women sad and hardened. The key to the house in the homeland is kept as a
symbol for the hope of return. The rhythmic text of this prose poem
describes in simple yet gripping words the fate of a displaced girl, and
ends with a conciliatory visit to the old homeland. With great artistic and
technical creative richness, the illustrations express childish
light-heartedness, the horror of the war, and the desolation of fleeing.
This picture book is dedicated to women and girls who have had to leave
their homelands, key in hand, and courageously begin again in another place.
(6+)
176
Ouattara, Vincent
La vie en rouge (Life in red)
Saint-Lambert (Québec): Soulières, 2008. – 156 p.
(Collection Graffiti; 46)
ISBN 978-2-89607-083-1
Burkina Faso – Woman – Repression – Gender role
Yeli divides the life of a
woman into four »bleedings«: circumcision, first period, defloration, and
childbirth. For Yeli, there could be no way out of the traditional fate of a
woman born in a village in Burkina Faso: circumcision, forced marriage, and
submission to the husband. Now in her old age, she wants her suffering, her
voice, and her sexuality to be heard. The author, who advocates for the
liberation of women from false religious and moral traditions in the
preface, describes not only the injustices of a society dominated by men,
but also tells of a romantic love and the life story of a courageous woman,
which invites hope for change. (15+)
177
Ouimet, Josée
La fille du bourreau (The daughter of the executioner)
[Montréal]: Hurtubise HMH, 2008. – 186 p.
(Collection Atout; 125)
ISBN 978-2-89647-103-4
New France/1695 – Society – Exclusion – First love
New France in the year 1695.
Charlotte, the youngest daughter of the executioner of Québec City, suffers
from the ostracism that her family experiences because of her father’s
profession. At the same time, she is ashamed of her mother who has been
convicted for trading in stolen goods and her sister who drinks and
prostitutes herself. She dreams of an honourable life with a respected man
by her side. She then finds it difficult to reveal her true identity to
Daniel, who has just arrived from France and does not seem to know anything
of her family. The portrait of the young courageous woman is convincingly
embedded in the historical context. The well-researched novel is based on a
true story and accurately presents historical figures and events, such as
the Governor of New France and the conflict with the Iroquois.
(12+)
178
Pasquet, Jacques (text)
Pratt, Pierre (illus.)
L’étoile de Sarajevo (The star of Sarajevo)
Saint-Lambert (Québec): Dominique et Compagnie, 2008. – [32] p.
ISBN 978-2-89512-572-3
Bosnia-Herzegovina/1992-1995 – Civil war – Destruction – Peace
»Earlier, Amina was a magician. She pressed on a button and the light went on, she called to her parents and they appeared immediately.« Now everything is different in her home town of Sarajevo: Amina sits in the basement, there is war, and Papa is gone. She does not want to sleep. She wants to leave. But outside, monsters have done their misdeeds: broken houses, uprooted trees. Even the library, the »Palace of 1001 books« is destroyed. This large-format picture book sensitively tells about the fears of a child who escapes into memories in order to cope with the gruesome present. Dark illustrations, which express the horrors of the war without depicting them concretely, alternate with bright pictures that portray the recollected scenes and the hope for peace. (3+)