Daughters Beyond Command

By Véronique Olmi

An absorbing bildungsroman that tells the story of three sisters amidst France’s rapid transformation in the '70s

Three sisters were born into a modest Catholic family in Aix-en-Provence. Sabine, the eldest, dreams of an artist’s life in Paris; Hélène, the middle girl, grows up divided between the bourgeois environment of Neuilly-sur-Seine and the simple life led by her parents; Mariette, the youngest, learns the secrets and silences of a dazzling and crazy world.

In 1970, French society is changing. Women have emancipated themselves whilst men have lost their bearings, and the three sisters, each in their own way, find ways to live a life of their own—a strong life, far from the morality, education, and the religion of their childhood.

This family chronicle, which takes us from the May 1968 protests to the 1981 elections, is as much a tender and tragic stroll through the 20th century as it is the chronicle of an era, where consciousnesses are awakening to the upheaval of the world, and heralding the chaos to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Europa Editions
• Release date: Sep 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781787704046

Véronique Olmi

Véronique Olmi is an actor, playwright, and stage director, who has written several novels including the critically acclaimed Bords de mer and Cet été-là, for which she received the Prix des maisons de la presse in 2011. She has also published two plays Une séparation and Un autre que moi.