Pauline Olphe-Galliard explores mourning through the landscapes of Vaucluse

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Originally from Vaucluse, Pauline Olphe-Galliard immerses us in the heart of its territory, between raw landscapes and intimate journey. Psychotherapist and writer, she has just published In the footsteps of the wind (Éditions Azoé), an initiatory novel that follows Marcus, a man marked by the loss of his daughter.

Meeting with Pauline Olphe-Galliard, the author close to Vaucluse nature.

Actu : You explore the themes of mourning and reconstruction in the landscapes of Vaucluse. How did this territory inspire you?

Pauline Olphe-Galliard : The landscapes of Vaucluse have a natural and restorative power. The raw contact with this land, its light and its aridity are all sensations that accompany Marcus in his quest. Marcus grew up far from this rurality, he is an aeronautical journalist, his parents are farmers but he is not used to the land. He will rediscover the rhythm of the seasons.

Why does your character, at 48 years old, feel this need to flee?

POG : Marcus is not really aware of the reasons that push him to leave. He just feels an irrepressible need for a change of scenery. It is as he progresses that he understands that his wandering is linked to his mourning, to his suffering as a father. He carries a double burden: the loss of his daughter and the end of his relationship.

In general when we talk about bereavement, here the bereavement of a child, the female perspective is more often discussed? Did you have a particular desire to make a man speak?

POG : Exactly, it was a desire to write. As a psychotherapist, I have often noticed that grief is a subject on which women dare to talk more, while men remain more discreet. They dare to talk about it when men are more discreet on the subject. There is also this injunction which wants men to stand firm for the woman who is breaking down, since his role is to protect and reassure her.
As a woman, I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a man so I talked a lot with the men around me to answer the question how a man can achieve his journey.

How did this story come about?

POG : The character of Marcus was actually born from an oversight! I had a completely different story in mind, but when I woke up one morning, only the first name of Marcus came to mind. From this oversight was born a form of creative rage which pushed me to write his story without really knowing where it would lead me. As I like to say, if there had not been this oversight, there would not have been this novel.

You are the author of two other books, what connects these stories?

POG : The link with my previous stories is quite simply the interest in the intimate and the human process. I like to focus on the pivotal moments when an individual changes, evolves, becomes aware and progresses in their life.

Is this a book to recommend to people who are grieving or rather to those who are searching for themselves?

POG : Perhaps for people in mourning, yes, but above all for those who are searching for meaning. Our time often puts death aside, and we sometimes find ourselves helpless in the face of the suffering of others. I don't like the expression “grieving” because it gives the impression of a linear process, whereas it is a path specific to each person and very intimate.

Did your experience as a psychotherapist influence the writing of this novel?

POG : Of course, listening to life stories over the years nourishes the writing. However, I didn't want Dans les pas du vent to be a “clinical case”. The novel does not follow a formal therapeutic approach, rather it explores how life affects us, and how encounters can be healing without requiring professional interventions. You don't have to see a psychologist to get better and that's the case for Marcus.

Your novel suggests that some questions will never be answered. Do you share this vision?

POG : Yes, sometimes we take actions without having all the answers. This is the case with Marcus. He sets off on this walk without even asking any questions. He is a man who succeeded in everything, until his daughter's illness disrupted this image. In his journey, he discovers that he must first face his feelings of guilt and that by gathering his daughter's ashes, he is taking a first spiritual step.

The novel takes place in Vaucluse, but could it have taken place elsewhere?

POG : Certainly. Another place, other encounters, would undoubtedly have guided Marcus towards different thoughts. Vaucluse was a natural choice, because I know these landscapes well, but the journey it embodies could have been elsewhere.

Have you considered a sequel for Marcus?

POG : Not for now. I like open endings. I have other projects in the works, but they will take different directions. I like to give readers space to extend the story themselves.

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