A Partisan's Daughter
Louis de Bernieres, the author best known for Captain Corielli's Mandolin has just published a short, quiet, devastating book. A Partisan's Daughter tells the story of Chris, a 40ish salesman and his chance meeting with Roza, the partisan's daughter from Yugoslavia. Roza tells her tales - of a harsher reality then the suburban Chris call really envision. He falls enthralled. But a captive to his own cages of construct he creates the circumstance that will haunt his life. Finally the book is about misunderstanding, miscommunication, fears of openness, fears of humiliation, but conversely it is also about the opposites, openness, communication, rising above humiliation. because it is told after the events the narrators have had the time to steep and their actions then are coloured by the perceptions now. As long as you are aware there is no Hollywood in the book, I recommend it.
Knopf Canada, 9780307396914, $29.95, 212 pages
