The Son

LoveReading Says

Winner of the Prix Goncourt for Debut Fiction in 2011.

A story of grief as a father mourns his 21-year old son who died of a particularly virulent form of meningitis.  The extraordinary slant to this uplifting tale is that it is all seen from the point of view of the dead son.  This is a magnificent book for it is the result of a father working through his very real grief and celebrating the life of his beloved boy, rejoicing in shared, precious moments; a phone call, a lunch, a visit to the opera.  As the story is told by the son it doesn’t seem so tragic, there is lots of humour but at the end of the day, in the back of your mind, is the fact that Mr Rostain’s son died.  It is an impressive work.

In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Son a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'I have read a lot of books this year, but this is the one that will stay with me.' - Angie Rhodes. Scroll down to read more reviews.

Reviewed by Sarah Broadhurst
Sarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from…
More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst

About The Son

We first meet Michel eleven days after the death of his son Lion. Lion was lost, suddenly, to a virulent strain of meningitis and it's left his father and entire family reeling. We join Michel on his personal journey through grief, but the twist that makes the journey truly remarkable, and tips this true story into fiction, is the fact that we see it all through Lion's eyes.

Read the full description

Find This Book In