‘I invite you all to immerse yourselves in La colline qui travaille.’ - Augustin Trapenard La Grande Librairie
‘Philippe Manevy’s clear and accurate phrasing manages to save from oblivion the ribbons of existence that he unrolls with great delicacy.’ Le Monde
‘Personal and universal altogether’ Libération
Over 10.000 copies sold for the trade edition
‘I write so that people and the ties that bind them won’t peter out and eventually vanish.’
A phone ringing, the smell of bleach, the taste of Nescafé… Philippe Manevy pulls the thread of memory and weaves the fabric of a family novel over four generations, starting with the character of Alice, his maternal grandmother, a professional weaver. Meticulous and determined, she became the leader of a workers’ movement in the aftermath of the Popular Front’s victory. Then René, her husband, appears in the story. A former athlete and typographer, he’s said to have been engaged, along with other unsung heroes, in a spectacular act of resistance during WWII. Both devoted parents, they’ll do anything to ensure the future of Martine, their studious and diligent daughter.
Each chapter highlights a family member grappling with the trials of their lives and times. Gradually, links appear and echoes resonate between them, that the author records without hiding the doubts that emerge as he writes. This novel is a journey through two world wars, economic crises, the Glorious Thirty (the booming three decades in France after 1945), and the hopes and disillusions of the 20th century.
A declaration of love and a vibrant tribute to the working class, La colline qui travaille is a refreshing take on the family chronicle and offers readers a sense of comfort and gentle nostalgia.
