Laurent Gaudé Book order

A mysterious knight arrives in a village with a crying newborn, leaving the locals bewildered. The king decides to let fate determine the child's future, but when the sun sets and the hyenas don't come, a woman steps forward to care for the infant, naming her Salina. This marks the beginning of Salina's journey, characterized by her quest for happiness amidst a series of misfortunes. Set against a harsh landscape, the narrative blends stark reality with a magical sense of existence, exploring deep emotions and essential actions of its characters.

A timeless story between foundational tale and myth

Exploring a unique narrative style, this book presents a free verse account of European history over the past 150 years. It captures significant events from the industrial revolution, through two world wars, to the formation of the European Union, highlighting themes of growth, confrontation, hope, defeat, and passion. The innovative approach offers readers a fresh perspective on the complexities and transformations that have shaped modern Europe.

A history of Europe like you've never read before. From the industrial revolution through two world wars and to the birth of the European Union, Our Europe sets in free verse the story of 150 years of growth, confrontation, hope, defeat and passion.

A French intelligence officer, Assem, is tasked with tracking down a former member of the U.S. Special Forces suspected of drug trafficking during the War in Afghanistan. En route to Beirut he shares a night with Miriam, an Iraqi archaeologist, who is in a race against time to save ancient artefacts across the Middle East from the terrorist group ISIS. Punctuating these two storylines are vignettes from the bellicose past, all turning points in world history, each showing a will to continue in the face of defeat.

When his son is killed by gangsters' crossfire on his way to school, Neapolitan taxi driver Matteo is consumed with despair. An encounter with strangers in a cafe raises the possibility of bringing young Pippo back from the dead, if they can locate the entrance to the underworld . . .

Captain Salvatore Piracci has sailed along the Italian coast for the last twenty years, intercepting boats with clandestine immigrants who have risked everything in the hope of reaching the new Eldorado. But when Piracci is confronted by a woman haunted by the death of her son, killed during an illegal crossing, he is forced to question the validity of his border-patrolling mission. Meanwhile, two brothers prepare to leave Sudan and make the dangerous passage to Europe. Separated mid-voyage, Suleiman, the youngest, vows to make it to the promised land and find the means to reunite with his ailing elder brother. In this spellbinding fable about lack, persistence, and hope, grounded in the often-tragic reality of modern-day immigration, bestselling author Laurent Gaude offers a unique portrait of the individuals who compromise their dreams and endanger their lives in search of a better existence.