Fils de, by Thomas Vernay

One day, one night, one village that has forgotten nothing. ✨

Thibaut is forced to return to his native village to bury his grandfather and try to support his father through this difficult time. From the moment he gets into the car, the unease is palpable, communication awkward. And for good reason: Thibaut and his mother had to flee to Lyon to escape the violence of a husband who is evidently more in love with the bottle than with his wife. A brutal uprooting for a teenager still finding his way in the world, making his return all the more bitter.

The church forecourt is packed as the entire village gathers to bid the deceased a final farewell. Thibaut's anxiety quickly fades when he spots Bruno, the best friend he left behind, standing apart from the crowd. There's no time to lose: Thibaut is leaving again the following morning, and the two have just one day and one night together. Grandfather laid to rest, the clock starts ticking. The only rule: make the most of every second.

What Thibaut hadn't anticipated, as he struggles to find his footing in his new life in Lyon, is that the village has been waiting for him, frozen in a state of vengeful anticipation. Old quarrels, romantic rivalries, and other unresolved feelings are all demanding their final reckoning.

In this rural world steeped in alcohol and violence, inhabited by rough-hewn men seemingly incapable of finding happiness, where gossip travels so fast it would make Usain Bolt look like he was standing still, Thibaut will find himself reunited, heart racing, with the beautiful Romane. Fortunately, he can also count on the fearless Lilli, from dusk till dawn.

Thomas Vernay skillfully captures that awkward, difficult age when you never imagine you'll make it through alive. This book leaves us with a literal hangover: sticky, thoroughly splattered with the alcohol-fueled bodily fluids of a youth simply doing the best it can. There's singing, shouting, and, ultimately, a fair amount of shaking things up. In short, a successful literary debut.