Inclusive stories, serial anti-heroines, making families differently: here are three books not to be missed

A fantastic collection of inclusive short stories

Behind the children’s book Brune-Feuille, The Prince Gets Married and Other Inclusive Stories, recently published by the Talents Hauts editions, there are not only fantastic texts that sound like a hymn to difference and diversity. There is also a political story worth telling. In the fall of 2020, in Hungary, a member of parliament publicly tore up a copy of one of these short story collections. The reason for this violent gesture? The inclusiveness desired by this book, signed by seventeen Hungarian authors solicited by the LGBTQIA+ Lasbrisz association. In this book that revisits fairy tales and myths from all over the world, Snow White becomes Brown Leaf, Cinderella, a young gypsy “with dark eyes and chocolate skin”, a girl turns into a boy, a prince prefers to sew and design clothes rather than practicing fencing or hunting when another marries a prince… As soon as it was published, the book created controversy when the Orban government’s homophobic law, which stipulates that books “expressing homosexuality” cannot be sold within a radius of 200 meters around churches and schools, is promulgated. Fabulous response to this abject measure, the collection ranks among the best Christmas 2020 sales in Hungary. And it is now translated into twelve languages. In France, where it has just been published by Talents Hauts, three translators – Chantal Philippe, Joëlle Dufeuilly and Cécile A. Holdban – have undertaken to translate these stories. Signed by famous personalities such as the writer Orsalya Ruff or the poet Krisztina Rita Molnar, we also discover new feathers, selected through a writing contest. It is absolutely necessary to read this book, which has become a symbol, and to have it read. Coming out of the classic factory of heroes and heroines of fairy tales which contributes to anchoring many stereotypes in our collective imagination, this collection offers children (from 6 years old) stories in which everyone can at least recognize themselves a little.. But also a decorated, rich, complex vision of the world, where difference is not a defect. In short, a breath of fresh air. Furthermore, the beautiful illustrations by Lilla Bölecz and the beauty of the combined writings will delight even the older ones: we have no complexes to say that we read it in one breath and that we liked it!

*Brune-feuille, The prince marries and other inclusive talescollective work illustrated by Lilla Bölecz, Talents Hauts, 192 pages, 22€.

An ode to serial anti-heroines

In a moment of benevolent (but also somewhat guilty) upbringing, watching an episode of Malcolm acts as an elixir for the pains of parenting. Or more precisely as an outlet. Because in this American series from the 2000s, created by Linwood Boomer, Loïs Wilkerson -played by Jane Kaczmarek- leads her family in a way that is as crazy as it is ruthless. While her 4 (then 5) children make her see all the colors (and this is an understatement), this mentally charged mother, howls, punishes, storms, manipulates, does not hesitate to confiscate Christmas presents or hit the poster to his offspring. Constantly on the verge of breaking up, this domineering and doting character quickly established herself as the archetype of the unworthy mother. One of the many counter-heroines to whom the journalists Anaïs Bordages and Marie Bordas wanted to pay homage in a joyful book, A small praise of serial anti-heroinespublished this fall by Les Pérégrines. ” Our anti-heroines can be mean, ungrateful, short-tempered, tense, obsessed, twisted, hysterical, or even malicious. Some are quite popular, others are hated by the general public. Each in their own way, they help to expand the until recently very restrictive norms of the representation of women on the screen and to break the ideal of feminine perfection. », write the two authors in the introduction. These figures that we love to hate, fear, pity, criticize, despise but also (more or less secretly) admire and with whom we can certainly identify, are presented here, dissected and contextualized in chapters that refer to the sexist clichés most often used to designate them. We will therefore come across “unworthy mothers”, such as Loïs, of whom we told you above, or obviously Cersei Lannister (game of Thrones) and Betty Draper (mad Men). But also “shallow girls” – Gabrielle Solis (Desperate Housewives) -, “streaks” – Faith Lehane ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer)- , “psychopaths” – Jenny Schecter (The world L), “hysterical” – Rebecca Bunch ( Crazy ex-girlfriend) – , “stuck” – Molly Carter (Insecure), “plagues” – Blair Waldorf ( gossip Girl) or “career women” like Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy).

An obviously non-exhaustive and entirely subjective selection but which has the merit of making us see a certain number of series in a different light and even making us want to see more. Even more, we fully subscribe to this highlighting of fallible characters, far from the badass and necessarily powerful heroines with which we are inundated and which we would say, as the authors point out “ directly from a mold that erects male attributes in sacrosanct quality ». A lighthearted little book, often humorous and much deeper than meets the eye. The only small drawback: the absence of an index of the many characters mentioned which would allow you to browse the book as if it were a dictionary (and more fun!).

* Small praise of the anti-heroines of the seriesby Anaïs Bordages and Marie Telling, Les Pérégrines, 269 pages, 14€50.

Create a family differently

With Create a family differentlyincisive essay published in early November by Binge audio editions, Gabrielle Richard, sociologist and researcher, specialist in gender and sexuality issues does not intend to demonstrate, for the umpteenth time that ” lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, trans, and nonbinary parents are able to raise their children in “healthy” ways “”. On this issue, the author recalls, for almost half a century much research has already been conducted in psychology and sociology which demonstrates how homoparenting does not change anything in the well-being and psychological development of children. And this is exactly where the shoe pinches. Because if the question seems to have been scientifically resolved, it continues to instill many debates and criticisms that question the “consequences” of homoparental educationdemonstrating the clearly ideological aspect of what is at stake. “It’s not that we don’t know, it’s that we refuse to see. We refuse to accept that procreation can be separated from heterosexuality. Recognize that it is possible to have a family without relying on the complementarity between men and women. Conceive that the nature of our gametes has a priori nothing to do with our identity or with the social bond we will maintain with the unborn child sings the author in the introduction. While, as she writes, parenthood is the best-kept bastion of heterosexuality, this Quebec queer and mother of two growing up with her non-binary partner pens an essay showing the reality of queer families based on numerous interviews . From conception to education, these testimonies and the author’s analyzes outline other ways of forming a family and reflect on the way in which the gender distribution of parenting roles is based on normalized constructions, neither natural nor mandatory. A very well argued and incisive book, full of food for thought and practical cases, to be put in everyone’s hands to build new possibilities.

*Create a family differentlyby Gabrielle Richard, Binge audio editions, 160 pages, 15€.