Hills which form a barrier to the rest of the world, a farm which opens onto fields as far as the eye can see, the accent of the locals “kneading the words like a child would torture modeling clay”… We clearly recognize the regions there. Jura through the pen of Lucie Gerber. The author from Saint-Imier published her first novel, Dancing with the Poppies, some time ago. And this one is set in his native region. “It’s stronger than me, it inhabits me,” she laughs, admitting to not having been able to write about another place.
A consultant in Lausanne, the 34-year-old writer remains very attached to her native village, where she returns regularly. It was there that, at a very young age, the dream of writing a novel germinated in his mind. After winning a short story competition in 2021, she began writing Dancing with the Poppies, a process which lasted two years.
A powerful story
Apart from very credible descriptions of the Jura setting, the novel addresses major subjects of young adult life through the eyes of Jo, the protagonist: the challenge of reconciling professional ambitions and family loyalty, human relationships, freedom, as well as the peasant condition. The themes unfold as the story progresses, so that what looks a bit like a station novel during the first pages turns out to be much more mature than one might have believed. The story is lively and stripped of embellishments. If it sometimes flirts with cliché in its dialogues and the character traits of certain characters, the narrative thread is controlled and knows how to be surprising at key moments. “My main goal is to create emotion in the reader,” says Lucie Gerber. A successful challenge.
The choice of self-publishing
Available in several bookstores in the Jura and Bernese Jura as well as online, the novel has sold more than 400 copies, and the feedback has been rather positive. Having opted for self-publishing, Lucie Gerber also has great freedom to practice her art, but must bear the costs linked to publication alone. Which represents just one of the many challenges faced by beginning writers, who are rare to be able to make a living from their passion. However, the author does not intend to let these difficulties stop her and is already thinking about her next stories.
