Annie Ernaux's father died exactly two months after she passed her practical examination for a teaching certificate. Barely educated and valued since childhood strictly for his labor, Ernaux's father had grown into a hard, practical man who showed his family little affection. Narrating his slow ascent towards material comfort, Ernaux's cold observation reveals the shame that haunted her father throughout his life. She scrutinizes the importance he attributed to manners and language that came so unnaturally to him as he struggled to provide for his family with a grocery store and cafe in rural...

A fragmented and largely retrospective description of a daughter's relationship with her father, La Place deals with issues of sexuality, social standing and alienation. This is an accessible and exciting addition to French studies courses.

First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.