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This is the story of a child, a child born with black eyes that float in and out of focus, a child soft and round, with translucent legs veined with blue and unable to take his weight, an eternal baby. This is the story of his place in the Cevennes house where he was born, overlooked by mountains and surrounded by the stones of the garden walls. This is the story of his siblings: the eldest, who loves the child intensely, who spends his days cheek-to-cheek with his baby brother, showing him the world around them; the sister who rejects the child and hates him for consuming the attention of her parents and brother, for turning her family upside down; and the youngest, born after the child dies, who lives in his memory and has the life that could have been. Told with tender, lyrical precision, Adapting is a compelling hymn to unexpected strength and resilience, a reminder that even when tragedy strikes, love will persevere.
About the author
Clara Dupont-Monod studied ancient French at the Sorbonne, and began her career in journalism writing for Cosmopolitan and Marianne. Her novels often draw on medieval myths and history, and have been nominated for the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Femina, two of France's most prestigious literary awards. Her first novel to be translated into English, The Revolt, which tells the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, was published in 2020. She lives in Paris.
Summary
A tender and beautifully observed novel about a family turned upside down by the arrival of a severely disabled baby boy. Perfect for readers of Jaap Robben and Claire Oshetsky
