THE HENRY JAMES OF FRENCH TEENS

Delphine de Vigan’s novels have been translated into many languages, but until now English was not one of them. In her native France “No et moi” (2007), her fourth novel, won two prizes and reportedly sold 100,000 copies. Now it has been translated into English by George Miller (“No and Me”, Bloomsbury, hardback, out now). The heroine, Lou, is a 13-year-old girl with flawed parents, one friend and an IQ of 160. Working on a project on the homeless, she meets No, an 18-year-old whose sad life will affect them all.

The story is beautifully observed and translated with a light touch, so the themes of addiction, family dysfunction and equality of opportunity don’t overwhelm our attachment to Lou’s coming-of-age. The trials and fears of a child’s existence are unpicked with great skill, in the manner of Henry James’s Maisie. Lou grows from mere precocity to an understanding of reality, which “always has the upper hand”, yet her quirks and aperçus leaven the text with a dose of Jamesian dark humour. A mini-gem to savour and pass on to your own troubled teen.

“No and Me”, Bloomsbury, hardback, out now

~ JAKUB FIGURSKI

Picture Credit: Benjamin Chelly