Additional information
by Amélie Nothomb (Author), Alison Anderson (Translator)
This coming of age novel by the acclaimed Belgian author is "a disarmingly simple yet deeply complex study of a mother-daughter relationship" (The Washington Post).
One of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of fiction in 2018 Marie is the prettiest girl in her provincial high school, and dating the most popular boy in town. She is the envy of all her peers--and she loves it. But when she gives birth to Diane, things begin to change. Diane steals the hearts of all who meet her, inciting nothing but jealousy in her mother.This is Diane's story. Young and brilliant, she grows up learning about life through her relationships with other women: her best friend, the sweet lisabeth; her mentor, the selfish Olivia; her sister, the beloved C lia; and, of course, her mother. It is a story about the baser sentiments that often animate human relations: rivalry, jealousy, distrust.
Revered throughout Europe, Belgian novelist Am lie Nothomb has won numerous prizes, including the French Academy's Grand Prix. In Strike Your Heart, she offers a telling adult fable about womanhood and the mother-daughter bond.
Author Biography
Amélie Nothomb was born in Japan to Belgian parents in 1967. She lives in Paris. Since her debut on the French literary scene, she has published a novel a year, every year. Her edgy fiction, unconventional thinking, and public persona have combined to transform her into a worldwide literary sensation. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages and been awarded numerous prizes including the French Academy's 1999 Grand Prix for the Novel, the René-Fallet, Alain-Fournier, and Jean-Giono prizes.
Alison Anderson's translations for Europa Editions include novels by Sélim Nassib, Amélie Nothomb, and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. She is the translator of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa, 2008) and The Life of the Elves (Europa, 2016), both by Muriel Barbery.
