he romanticizes life on a farm in Lauragais during the war in the second volume of his trilogy

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A year. This is the time that readers of Sébastien Saffon had to wait before discovering the rest of his novel The Silence of La Combereleased in November 2023. Volume 2 of the trilogy by the author from Avignonet-Lauragais, entitled A castle for pigeonswill in fact appear on Tuesday, November 12.

“I continue my exploration of the life of Lauragais farms and countryside during the war», specifies the writer, also known for highlighting, for many years now, the contents of the notebooks in which his grandfather, a sharecropper in Lauragais, recorded his daily work on the farm. A work which had also inspired his first novel in two volumes entitled Those of the lost edge.

The continuation of the adventures of Suzanne Lacroux

This time, the origin of this new series of novels is the discovery by the author, in a drawer on the family farm, of postcards written by his great-grandfather when he was mobilized in Agen. On the occasion of the release of the first volume, the author explained to Voice of Midi Lauragais having “let his imagination gallop to write between these cards” and thus give birth to a “totally fictional” story.

In this second volume, readers will find the heroine of this novel, Suzanne Lacroux. This carillonneur was forced to abandon her bell tower to run the family farm due to the mobilization of her husband, Jeanat the start of the Second World War. “Pregnant with their second child, she finds herself very isolated at a time when major agricultural work is coming. Of course, Lino his childhood sweetheart, is there to help him. And if its presence is a relief, it also causes a lot of suffering by awakening a past that they thought was over,” specifies the author.

Peasant life in Lauragais during rationing

In A castle for pigeonsthe reader discovers the difficulties of the task that Suzanne must overcome in the year 1940 even as rationing becomes tougher. ” At hamlet of Albouyas elsewhere, the question of bread becomes sensitive. Tempers are heating up. It is necessary to find provisional solutions sometimes involving illegality, resourcefulness, but also mutual aid. Relighting the old farm oven, waking up the mills, getting organized without attracting attention, these are all challenges to face despite the multiple dangers,” emphasizes Sébastien Saffon when delivering the pitch for his work.

A story which of course takes place in Lauragais with elements of context on the peasant life of the timeprecisely taken from his grandfather’s notebooks to give all its authenticity to the environment in which this fiction takes place.

Several dedications to the program

Note that as for The Silence of La CombeSébastien Saffon chose to publish A castle for pigeons to Editions of 38a publishing house based in Villefranche-de-Lauragais and managed by Anita Berchenko.

The promotion of the novel will also be local, with a preview presentation planned the day before the release of the work, Saturday November 9 in the morning, at Hyper U of Villefranche-de-Lauragais . The author will also be present at Avignonet-Lauragais Book Fairon Sunday, November 24 and will provide a dedication at the Belfry bookstore in RevelSaturday December 7 morning.

Practical information
A castle for pigeons – Sébastien Saffon – Éditions du 38.
Published on Tuesday November 12, 2024.
Available in the traditional network and on the publishing house’s website.
Tariff : 20 €.

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