Mother’s Day: 5 feminist books to devour in one go

I have the distinction of having a mother born around Mother’s Day, which for my sister and me has always represented the practical (and somewhat lazy) advantage of giving a two-in-one gift. With the distance that separates us since I moved to Paris a few years ago, it’s always a little complicated to follow my mother’s tastes, to know what interests her on a daily basis. I try to question my sister, to subtly glean details.

For many years, I decided to give him some books, terrain I know well. My mother is, like many women, an occasional reader. Not for lack of interest, but rather time and budget to dedicate to it. Hence her interest in proposing works that hit the mark. If you have the same idea, here is a small selection that I hope will satisfy as many people as possible.

Monique runs awayby Edouard Louis

After living with two violent and alcoholic spouses, Edouard Louis’ mother thought she could get away with her new partner in Paris. Unfortunately, after some time, the same mechanisms of violence are put into action. With the complicity of his sister, the writer organizes his mother’s escape. Leaving the apartment, getting food, finding a new home, the escape is described in its most concrete and banal way, far from a romanticized romanticization. However, this process in which Edouard Louis incorporates his reflections on the shame of oneself, of one’s environment, keeps us in suspense until the third act, sublime and salvific. A real revenge. To be offered to all those who, one day, had to escape, or dreamed of doing so.

Monique runs away, Edouard Louis, Seuil, €18

Rue du Passage by Fatima Ouassak

Salima, a little girl born in the 80s, lives in a working-class suburban neighborhood. Every day she lets herself be carried away by the stories of the residents and shopkeepers of the street where she lives, rue du Passage. There is the spice dispenser, the caftanière or the cassette changer. Everyone is respected, celebrated for what they bring to the community. Detailing the fate of immigrants from France in the 1980s, author Fatima Ouassak, known for her work “ The power of mothers » engages brilliantly with narrative. Poetic and political, this imaginary dive into the heart of a disadvantaged neighborhood, where the fear of poverty and solidarity reign, can be read in one breath. To be offered to those who have also experienced a rue du Passage.

Rue du Passage, Fatima Ouassak, JC Lattès editions, €18

This is not a book about genderby Morgan N. Lucas

By inflaming public debate for several years, gender issues can challenge, spark debate and even scare… which is not the goal. To see things more clearly, trans therapist Morgan N Lucas offers an accessible and ingenious overview of the issue in his first work. Far from closing himself in merely philosophical positions, the author rightly reminds us that gender issues concern everyone, and not just trans people. Indeed, the book defuses all tensions and offers a truly attentive and reassuring look at this highly flammable reflection. To be offered to those who have questions and to those who would like to know more.

This is not a book about gender, Morgan N Lucas, éditions les Insolentes, €26

The child by Nadia Daam

The boy is becoming less and less of a child, and this questions her as much as it saddens her. This is what Nadia Daam, journalist, tells us in this authentic and moving story about her relationship with her teenage daughter. Once her childhood was over and she gradually gained independence, her mother thought that she would free herself from the stress of everyday life, but this is not the case. Raising a girl to become a woman, in this harsh test that is the sexist and chauvinist society, is a constant question. With touching and sincere language, the journalist offers a beautiful reflection on the place of mothers in the lives of their teenage daughters. To be offered to all mothers who are raising or have raised girls.

The childNadia Daam, Grasset editions, €26

The forgotten greats by Titiou Lecoq

Did you know that in the Middle Ages, before the 15th century, women were builders of cathedrals, worked alongside monks to illuminate manuscripts, or could work as surgeons? However, very few traces remain of this active involvement in society and, what is worse, they are completely invisible in the modern conception of History. To remedy this, the journalist and author Titiou Lecoq wrote this precious essay, which puts women back in the place they deserve in the great history of France. Covering the prehistoric period to the present day, the work, ultra-accessible and full of numerous anecdotes, offers us a delightful historical dive. To be offered to history buffs, of course!

The forgotten greats, Titiou Lecoq, Iconoclast editions, €20.90

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