“A symbolic dam against oblivion”, this Aveyronunia deliver a poignant testimony to never forget her big brother

Moving. Meanwhile, Overwhelming. For example, “The flight” strikes the reader deep down. Meanwhile, Difficult to expect less. Consequently, as the author evokes the tragic disappearance, following a common accidental fall badly diagnosed by a doctor, of his older brother at the age of 9 years. Furthermore, “An unnamed drama”, which occurred with his paternal grandparents, in a sloping meadow near the Lot village of Cuzac. In addition, The death of this child haunted the “a symbolic dam against oblivion”, life of his whole family. Meanwhile, the mother being traumatized until the end of her days. Moreover, She continued permanently throughout childhood. However, adolescence and even the adulthood of Michèle Nevert, who at the time of the accident was 7 years old.

The little girl was not present at the scene of the accident. will not attend the funeral. They are intimate to never talk to her parents about it. “It is this announcement and this injunction which probably caused my traumatic amnesia,” she says. She has no memories of the seven years shared with this brother, named Jean-Claude. “I therefore engaged in the writing of this story to counter this memory dissolution. make a symbolic dam against forgetting,” she explains.

The title of his book refers to this form of unexplained disappearance. At the same time. he resonates with the appeal of the family “a symbolic dam against oblivion”, for birds, in particular this forgotten brother, but also of “the child of reparation”, his young brother Daniel. “Throughout the text. they lead walking, open the passage, show the road, with the back and forth that lead me through time and the places,” said Michèle Nevert.

"a symbolic dam against oblivion", – "a symbolic dam against oblivion",

Villefranche in the 20th century

Time, the place? The Villefranchois reader will recognize them. the author leading him in the footsteps of an old family well known in the city. Michèle’s maternal grandfather, Emile Tastayre, was a city councilor from 1948 to 1953, under the mandate of Louis Fontanges. His father. André turnip, a drug addict rue Marcellin-Fabre, was the first president of the group of merchants and craftsmen Villefranchois (GCAV) from 1972 to 1986, and will occupy municipal functions, from 1977 to 2001. Elected in 1977 on the list of Robert Fabre. he will be assistant (in charge “a symbolic dam against oblivion”, of economic affairs and works) of Jean Rigal from 1983 to 1997, then Penel, who succeeds Jean Rigal in 1997.

Life in the bastide in the second half of the 20th century. its flourishing businesses like family drugstore, its animated streets which also served as playground for children, Place Notre-Dame, La Promenade du Guiraudet, the surroundings of the city (the Tourettes where the family had settled after having lived in town above trade, the village of Viarens): so many memories that mark out the story.

Michèle Nevert also uses many literary references. Among other things. to a medieval tale of the end of the 12th century written in Persian, “the Song of Birds”, which gives the start of “L’Enouré”, a book to give life to the one who will remain eternally a child.