a woman's story
first edition, 1988.
the bond between mother and daughter can be one of profound merging, where the “self” can be subsumed by the relationship—a bond that even death cannot sever. after her mother’s death from dementia, ernaux embarks on the difficult task of locating her mother, not only as she existed within their relationship, but as an individual who lived independently of it.
"a woman’s story" traces her mother’s life from birth in a small normandy town to her death in a hospital’s geriatric ward. it traverses their relationship, marked by her mother’s sacrifices and relentless work for the family, and ernaux’s own rebellion, which drove a wedge between them, widened by her education and exposure to a different life. although their bond was never fully broken, ernaux and her mother lived somewhat separately after her marriage and her father’s death, yet stayed connected as her mother’s alzheimer’s progressed. ernaux recounts her mother’s gradual loss of the fierce independence she once prized, watching her slip into the disease. with this loss, ernaux confronts the final separation from her origins and the world she once knew.
mirroring her reflections on her father in "a man’s place," "a woman’s story" uses ernaux’s personal relationship with her mother to examine the limitations imposed on women in the early 20th century. she explores shifts in ideas of chastity, femininity, and gender through her own experiences, as she witnessed these changes in the protests of may 1968, with their embrace of sexual freedom, rejection of shame, and demand for gender equality that resonated with her generation.
"a woman’s story" has become a celebrated work in contemporary french literature and contributed to ernaux’s receipt of the 2022 nobel prize in literature. the english edition was recognized as a new york times notable book.
new york: four walls eight windows. 5.5 x 8.5". 92 pages. hardcover. 0941423514. book condition: fine. jacket condition: fine. unclipped [$15.95]. slightest shelfwear. Item #415
Price: $200.00
