Étiquettes
Critique de livre, Harper Perennial, idées de lecture, Laura Kasischke, lecture, Livre, Mind of Winter, quoi lire, roman
Les premières phrases
« She woke up late that morning, and knew:
Something had followed them home from Russia.
This scrappy bit of information had been offered up to Holly in a dream, she supposed, a glimpse into a truth she’d carried with her for – how long?
Thirteen years?
Thirteen years!
For thirteen years she’d known this, and not known – or so it seemed to her in her half-awake state on Christmas morning. She rose from bed and went down the hallway to her daughter’s bedroom, anxious to see that she was there, still asleep, perfectly safe.
Yes, there she was, Tatiana, one pale arm thrown over a pale coverlet. Dark hair spilled over a pillow. She was so still she could have been a painting. So peaceful she could have been –
But she wasn’t. She was fine. Holly felt reassured and went back to the bedroom, slipped into bed beside her husband again – but as soon as she did, she thought it once more :
It had followed them home!. »
Circonstances de lecture
Attirée par la couverture.
Impressions
Voici un huis clos comme je les aime ! Le matin de Noël, Holly se réveille tard. Son mari part en catastrophe chercher ses parents à l’aéroport. Holly doit donc se dépêcher pour préparer le repas avant l’arrivée des convives. Rien de très grave, sauf que sa fille fait la tête. Et que la tension qui existe entre elles dès les premières pages ne fait que s’amplifier. D’autant qu’une tempête de neige fait rage, et qu’elles se retrouvent toutes les deux en tête à tête…
J’ai adoré l’atmosphère de ce livre de Laura Kasischke. Un huis clos bien flippant, qui traite des relations mères/filles et de l’adoption. Avec un final des plus inattendus !
Un passage parmi d’autres
About Tatiana, Theodota had said, « No. Don’t name her Russian. Name her American. Or she’ll be back. »
The nurses had called her Sally. They had explained to Eric and Holly, « We give her American name so that in her life and in her death she will not be restless in America, try to return to Russia. »
« But we want her to be proud of her Russian origins, » Holly had tried, in turn, to explain, not sure if any of her English was being understood. « We want to call her Tatiana because it is a beautiful Russian name for a beautiful little Russian girl. »
The nurse had scowled and shaken her head vehemently. « Nyet, nyet, no, » she said. « Sally. Or »- here she softened, as though sensing that they might be able to compromise – « you name her Bonnie. Bonnie and Clyde, no? »
Holly had been smiling, but she was having a hard time keeping the spirit light. She said, « No. Tatiana. »
« No, » the nurse had said right back to her.
« Oh my God, » Holly had said, later, to Eric. « What is wrong with these people? »
Even Eric, at that point, had regained his sense of humor enough to shake his head in disbelief at the superstitions of these people in Siberia.
Laura Kasischke – Mind of Winter – 2015 (Harper Perennial)
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