Lointaines by Lise Gaboury-Diallo (review)

GABOURY-DIALLO, LISE. Lointaines. Saint-Boniface, Manitoba: Blé, 2010. ISBN 978-2923673 -14-1. Pp. 222. $19,95 Can. Lointaines is a stunning collection of fifteen short stories by one of FrancoManitoba ’s premier authors, winner of the 2004 Prix de Poésie de Radio-Canada and of the 2009 Prix Rue-Deschambault. Mixing fiction with truth in this rich collection of stories, Gaboury-Diallo’s style is so fluid that her words instantly become beautiful and poignant images that take the reader to West Africa, whether it be Senegal or Mali, to understand the deep feelings of disorientation one finds in strange surroundings. As one example of this phenomenon, the protagonist of the second story, “Poussière du Sahel,” finds herself in the middle of a dangerous sandstorm: Nous refermons derrière nous la dernière porte et, grâce à quelques rais d’une faible lumière qui éclairent notre chemin, nous descendons au salon. Je regrette d’une certaine façon de ne pouvoir assister au grand spectacle en restant dehors. Mais bientôt, je sens le noir nous cerner. On ne voit plus rien. Je n’arrive plus à appréhender la réalité physique qui m’entoure. Mes oreilles, sensibles au moindre bruit, ne captent absolument rien. Étrange tempête: sans neige ni pluie, sans éclairs ni tonnerre. Une bête terrible jette son ombre gigantesque sur nous sans haleter, sans gémir ni souffler. (26) But it is not just the physical surroundings that Gaboury-Diallo addresses in her prose, it is also the emotional ones. In “Une attente éternelle,” the protagonist , after a twelve-year absence, returns to Senegal for a visit from her adopted country of Canada. Custom dictates that she, her husband, her brother-in-law, and Ousmane, the husband of her niece Saffi, say hello and visit with extended family near where they are staying. She recognizes many faces and takes delight in that the nicknames of the children have not changed despite the fact that so many years have passed. However, the protagonist grows weary from the heat and the obligation to have something to drink at every home. When her brotherin -law recognizes her fatigue, he suggests that they stop the visits for the day. Reenergized by the idea, the protagonist finds herself to be able to walk a bit more quickly and to not to be slowed down by the extreme heat. However, the group soon stops at a gray wall, at what they find to be a modest home, where the protagonist’s husband knocks at the door. A very pregnant woman answers the door and immediately recognizes the husband. What is to be the last visit of the day is a very meaningful one for the protagonist as the woman’s children are all deformed and the protagonist cannot help but be touched by the sight of their deformity. When she and her group depart, she listens as if in a fog to the comments of the men about hereditary illness and bad genetics. She counts her blessings for her healthy daughter and prays: Et, comme elle, j’espère contre tout, que cet autre enfant naîtra sain, parfait, pour qu’il puisse s’amuser, sauter et courir. Faire sourire sa mère. Pour qu’il puisse un jour s’occuper de sa maman, quand elle sera vieille et fatiguée. Elle attend tout simplement le cadeau d’un miracle. (17) For those among us who are searching for texts from the Francophone world to share with our students, I can think of no better than Gaboury-Diallo’s Lointaines. It will not only open one’s eyes to the beauty of West African culture but also to the artistic gift of an amazing Franco-Manitoban author. We, professors 986 FRENCH REVIEW 85.5 of French in the United States, would do well to teach the rich Francophone literature of western Canada, beginning with the works of Gaboury-Diallo and continuing with other authors of Éditions du Blé. Canisius College (NY) Eileen M. Angelini GAUDÉ, LAURENT. Ouragan. Arles: Actes Sud, 2010. ISBN 978-2-7427-9297-9. Pp. 189. 18 a. Lauréat du prix Goncourt...