Vanda - by Marion Brunet (Paperback)

About the Book

"A beautiful and often poetic tale that is unflinching about social and personal violence. Set in Marseilles, this is the story of Vanda, a beautiful woman in her thirties, arms covered in tats, skin so dark that some take her for a North African. Devoted to her six-year-old son Noâe they live in a derelict shed by the beach. She had wanted tobe an artist; she is now a cleaner in a psychiatric hospital. But Vanda is happy living alone, like a mama bear with her cub. "The two of them against the world", as she says. Everything changes when Simon, the father of her son, surfaces in Marseilles. He had left Vanda seven years earlier, not knowing that she was pregnant. When Simon demands custody of his son, Vanda's suppressed rage threatens to explode. The tension becomes unbearable, both parents fully capable of extreme violence"--

Book Synopsis

A psychological thriller set in Southern France. Brunet has followed on from the success of "the Summer of Reckoning" with this magnificent portrait of a woman and a mother.

A beautiful and often poetic tale that is unflinching about social and personal violence. Set in Marseilles, this is the story of Vanda, a beautiful woman in her thirties, arms covered in tats, skin so dark that some take her for a North African. Devoted to her six-year-old son Noé, they live in a derelict shed by the beach.

She had wanted to be an artist; she is now a cleaner in a psychiatric hospital. But Vanda is happy living alone, like a mama bear with her cub. "The two of them against the world", as she says. Everything changes when Simon, the father of her son, surfaces in Marseilles. He had left Vanda seven years earlier, not knowing that she was pregnant. When Simon demands custody of his son, Vanda's suppressed rage threatens to explode. The tension becomes unbearable, both parents fully capable of extreme violence.

Review Quotes

'A taut psychological thriller. This heart-wrenching slice of social--realism will resonate with many.'Publishers Weekly

'Brunet's depiction of a woman whom society has failed is visceral and heartbreaking. She represents many others in similar situations which is why it's such an important and eye-opening read.' CrimeFictionLover

'A remarkable example of social-realism in the noir genre. An acerbic
polemic about the violence of our society aimed at its most vulnerable.' Livres Hebdo

'Beautifully etched portrait of a woman who knows only extreme love. Wild,
ferocious, she smells her son without biting him, but would would suffocate
him in her arms rather than see him leave her.' Figaro

'A contemporary drama, violence always simmering below the surface. An
homage to single-mothers, fearless in the protection of their children.' L'Express

'Bruised but undaunted, Vanda is a wounded lioness. So hard to be
vulnerable in these savage times.' Paris Match

Reviews of Summer of Reckoning:
'There's an appalling, slow-motion car crash inevitability to this concise and beautifully written novel.' Guardian
'Marion Brunet reminds us that noir is a French word; that "life's not like a fairytale for silly girls. Life hurts." This is the first of her award-winning books to be translated into English. More, please, au plus vite!' The Times
'A slow-burn thriller, a social-realist portrayal of embittered life among hard-scrabble minimal-income locals and semi-settled immigrants, all living within walking distance of the luxurious villas occupied part-time by the holidaying wealthy.' CrimeTime

Reviews of Summer of Reckoning
'There's an appalling, slow-motion car crash inevitability to this concise and beautifully written novel.' Guardian
'Marion Brunet reminds us that noir is a French word; that "life's not like a fairytale for silly girls. Life hurts." This is the first of her award-winning books to be translated into English. More, please, au plus vite!' The Times 'A slow-burn thriller, a social-realist portrayal of embittered life among hard-scrabble minimal-income locals and semi-settled immigrants, all living within walking distance of the luxurious villas occupied part-time by the holidaying wealthy.' CrimeTime 'A slow-motion nightmare notable for its evocation of febrile adolescent fantasies whose power extends well into adulthood.' Kirkus 'This novel is pervaded by a brooding sense of betrayal and unfulfillment, of sadness and revenge for the harsh realities of provincial French life, of the desperation of people forever looking for the main chance, but never finding it. Once you've read Summer of Reckoning, Provence will never seem the same again.' ELN "With raw, chilling and incisive prose, Brunet takes us into a world of sectarian convictions dominated by the hatred of the rich, the bosses, the foreigners and the 'different'." --L'Express "With its intense rage, corrosive boredom and low-life scams, Brunet's South of France is saturated with broken dreams. And the last flickers of childhood are terrifying, proving that, even under the strong sun, social barriers remain implacable."--Paris Match

About the Author

Marion Brunet, born in 1976, is a well known Psychological Thriller and Young Adult Fiction author in France.

Her YA novels have received over 30 prizes, including the 2017 UNICEF Prize for Youth Literature. Marion has previously worked as a special needs educator and now writes her fiction in Marseille. Vanda follows on from the success Summer of Reckoning, her first novel written for the general public and her work to be translated into English.