Asphyxia by Violette Leduc (her first novel), translated by Derek Coltman / 144-page paperback published by Gallic Books / ISBN 9781913547059 *** An extraordinary tale of a stifled childhood and an unrelenting love of life from the protégée of Simone de Beauvoir. 'Indisputably a brilliant writer' Evening Standard In a small French town, a young girl grows up under the hard blue gaze of a mother who will not hold her hand. Her only comfort lies in the warmth of her ill grandmother. Yet the world around her is humming with curiosity. From the obsessive Madame Barbaroux and her endless spring cleaning, to the homeless Monsieur Dezaille and his beloved collection of saucepans, Leduc exposes the eccentricities of provincial life with unflinching candour and striking beauty. 'Violette Leduc is an exceptional writer, and one of the most extraordinary women ever to have written about herself' TLS
