Worldwide Wednesday #1: France

Hi! Every Wednesday I am doing a post on a book from a different country, and calling it Worldwide Wednesday! Feel free to join in and create your own posts on books that are related to a certain country (such as they are set in a certain country, are written by an author from that country etc.). If you do, don’t forget to tag me in so I can read all your posts! Today my Worldwide Wednesday post is focussing on…. France!

So I thought, what better book to choose than one that I have recently read in French! Ages ago I read the book, ‘No and Me’ by Delphine De Vigan, and then recently, I re-read the book, but this time the French version- ‘No et Moi.’

‘No et Moi’ is about a young girl, Lou, who feels isolated and who is very introverted, as she does not have a very happy home life since the death of her sister, and she is in a class full of older children due to her intelligence, meaning she finds it hard to get on with other children. The book focuses on her plight to present a school presentation on homeless people, and as part of her research, she interviews a young homeless woman, No.

No and Lou soon become friends, and their awkward yet loving relationship is lovely to read about as it evolves through the book, with each girl having their own barriers and trust issues, but, despite this, a friendship gradually grows between them. Due to this friendship, Lou becomes more confident, and No gets another chance at happiness, showing the benefits for both the girls of this friendship.

I really enjoyed this book, and I thought that Delphine De Vigan’s language was very beautiful and eloquent, with the descriptions used really conjuring an image of the struggles of homeless people in France, as well as the struggles of a young girl isolated within her family and society. I liked watching the friendship of the two girls grow, and I also liked watching Lou as she grew in confidence, gradually making friends with a boy she fancied and embracing a new, confident attitude.

Although I could not understand the whole book, and I had to skip certain passages because I wasn’t sure what they meant. overall I was surprised to find that I could understand the general plot of the book, even if I couldn’t understand every word. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book for a second time, and I found that it really helped with my French translation skills, and vocabulary. I also liked reading this book after I had visited Paris, as I could recognise certain landmarks and areas, and I felt that I had a great cultural appreciation and understanding of the French setting and language through reading this book.

Have you ever read this book before? Do you think you might try it in your own language? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

If you have a book that relates to France or another country in some way, make your own Worldwide Wednesday post and tag me in! 🙂

Happy reading!

Currently reading: ‘A Room with a View’ by E. M. Forster