Alexe L, contributor to the 20 Minutes Books reading group, recommends “Peau de sang” by Audrée Wilhelmy, published on August 22, 2024 by Éditions Le Tripode.
His favorite quote:
” the skirt falls, heavy at my ankles, and I step over it the goose carcasses waltz on the ceiling: their livery is dull next to the immaculate petticoats that I pick out in the shop: everyone knows that I wear, under my butcher’s rags, a country of embroidery, bas-reliefs traced tone on tone on white linen canvas »
Why this book?
- Because it’s the story of a goose feather factory where a woman reigns whose door and bed are open to all men.
- Because it is this woman, in turn witch, whore, prostitute, embroiderer, healer, initiator for young girls… that we follow throughout this novel.
- Because it’s dark, daring, a bit voyeuristic, perhaps disturbing, but we let ourselves be told each other’s stories.
- Because this novel risk ending in blood, at least we suspect so…
The essentials in 2 minutes
The plot. In the town of Kangoq, people live on little, from the labor of the women workers in the spinning mills and the men in the fields. A woman, she, plucks large snow geese, or discreetly initiates young girls to the pleasures of life.
The characters. Bloodskin, the mayor, the doctor, men of all classes, the inhabitants of the village.
The places. In Canada in Kangoq, a small village in a forest.
The era. At the beginning of the 20th century.
The author. Audrée Wilhelmy is a Quebec writer born in Cap-Rouge (Quebec) and who has lived in Montreal for over ten years. She is notably the author of the novels The Bloods, The Body of Beasts And White Resinpublished in France by Grasset. Bloodskin is his first novel published by Tripode
This book was read with a little disturbance.
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