The Margot Affair

Some time ago I told you about Page & Pairing, a newsletter that suggests book, wine and food pairings. I fell in love with the concept, but had never taken the time to follow their suggestions. Until now: The Margot Affair is one of their most recent finds. Let's just say it makes me want to keep reading the newsletter.

Summary

Margot is a child of adultery. Her father, a minister of culture, was married when her mother became pregnant some fifteen years ago. He loved his lover, a well-known actress with a flamboyant personality and a particular beauty, but still did not want to leave his wife. So he continued to lead a double life and had two children with his wife, while taking great care to hide from his "real" family and the rest of the world that he has an illegitimate daughter.

Quand Margot était très jeune, tout cet arrangement allait de soi pour elle. Mais maintenant qu’elle est adolescente, elle en voit l’injustice. Elle veut voir son père plus souvent et elle en a marre de garder le secret de son identité. Elle veut se sentir légitime, prendre sa place dans la monde, sortir de l’ombre. Et c’est justement à ce moment qu’elle rencontre un charmant journaliste qui a le don de soutirer des confidences…

Impressions

Very quickly, I was charmed. Not only by the story (the premise is intriguing!), but also by the writing. The narrator, Margot, is a teenager, and it shows: her emotions are raw, the people she meets have a beauty and appeal she has trouble describing rationally, and she is constantly struggling between her love for her parents and her desire to distance herself from them. As I read her reflections, I was reminded of what it was like to be a teenager, how horrible and wonderful it is at the same time.

Sanaë Lemoine is of French origin, but has lived in Australia and studied in New York. That's why she wrote The Margot Affair in English, not in French. At first, I was surprised by this amalgam: the novel takes place in Paris, but the text is in English, with only a few French words slipped in here and there to make it cute and authentic. It works. The atmosphere is well rendered, and you feel like you are in Paris. Margot is studying like crazy for her baccalaureate, the female characters all have a French beauty and refinement, the food is simple and appetizing, and all meals are accompanied by a bottle of wine.

On the cover, we see that the New York Times called this book "exquisite." I would be hard pressed to find a better adjective.