What You Need from the Night: A Novel
Description
A CrimeReads Best International Fiction Book of Fall 2023
A powerful, intimate portrait of grief and radicalization that grapples with the conundrum of having loved ones we no longer recognize.
After the death of his wife, a father raises his two sons alone. His bond with Fus, the elder, and Gillou, the younger, is a close one. But their town is not a place of opportunity, and it soon becomes clear that the boys are heading down different paths. Gillou sets his sights on university in Paris. Fus, despite his socialist upbringing, falls in with the local far-right group. Though he joins mostly for the camaraderie, their activities, which might on the surface appear harmless, lead to a violent confrontation.
How can a father and son find common ground when everything seems set to break them apart? A sudden tragedy will force them to find an answer.
Tense, sharp, and ultimately heartbreaking, What You Need from the Night asks what acts can truly be forgiven, and shines a spotlight on the forgotten corners of a country where white supremacy has taken hold much like in the US.
Praise for What You Need from the Night: A Novel
“A triumph of tamped power and unsutured emotion…one of the most exquisite debuts I’ve read for some time.” —The Telegraph
“Petitmangin’s deeply affecting and haunting novel explores paternal love, responsibility, and forgiveness.” —The Guardian
“Petitmangin is at his best, twisting the tether between the two men so tight that its center begins to buckle…one sees much promise in the sensitivity Petitmangin shows to the family at the heart of this quiet tragedy.” —Times Literary Supplement
“A fascinating portrait of politics tearing a family apart, and a haunting noir about the ways in which love competes with morality.” —CrimeReads, The Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of the Season
“A short blast of a novel: a howl of pain, impotence, and rage. The prose, fluently translated by Shaun Whiteside, is precise and unadorned…it reflects the urgency of its subject.” —The Spectator
“Heartbreaking…haunts you long after you’ve put it down.” —Libération
“A tragedy of unconditional love.” —L’Obs
“As sublime as it is painful.” —Le Parisien
