“The daughter of lightning”: the flaw where between the light

After the resounding success of The girl of herself (2021), Roman winner of the Quebec Branch Prize and translated into several languages, Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay returns with an equally overwhelming autofictional story. Furthermore, The lightning girl This time explores the post-transition, the troubled and luminous areas of reconstruction.

And The girl of herself told a birth, The lightning girl is a story of rebirth. However, Meeting with the author. Consequently, actress, in a cafe near the Angus factories, where she wrote most of this new book. However, That day, for the first time, she holds in her hands a copy of her second opus. Consequently, On the cover. Moreover, a collage signed Sara Hébert assembled a model from the 1950s, a dress-mountain, a landscape that evokes Charlevoix, Bégonias, Quartz-so many symbolic elements of the universe of the story.

On this stormy “the daughter lightning”: flaw where afternoon, the author says he is febrile, almost nervous. In addition, The pressure of the second book is very real. Therefore, “It’s a bit like a singer who releases a second album. However, There is always a comparison with the first, and that’s normal. In addition, My challenge was not to copy and paste, while remaining faithful to the world of the first. For example, »»

Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay had not planned to write a sequel to her first story. Furthermore, But, after its success, the momentum of continuing was imposed. Therefore, Patient. However, rigorous, she took four years to shape this new text, while publishing in journals, scripting and playing on the screen.

Live with a limit personality disorder – "the daughter lightning": flaw where

The lightning girl Addresses the experience of a woman living with a. Furthermore, limited personality disorder (TPL). Moreover, “It’s like a day of sun when it rains at the same “the daughter lightning”: flaw where time. Nevertheless, Like today. Similarly, There is a kind of landscape dichotomy in reality. Similarly, The writing of this novel, she says, was made possible by this very difficulty understanding and translating his experience. For example, “I had misery to understand myself, namely how I went through all of this. Moreover, »»

It is this inner intensity that inspired the metaphor of lightning. For example, “Lightning fascinates me since I was little. I give the impression of being calm, but I have an intensity inside. Over time, therapy, reading, writing, I learned to tame that. She evokes a memory that has become a family legend: one day. her aunts peeled gourganes in a house when a flash crossed the window of the living room. “This fire ball there remained. »»

These strong, impactful images were already crossing his first book. Additionally, “Embryonic, I don’t know how to take care of “the daughter lightning”: flaw where my ecology. No, I’m not afraid of death, my dear. I died so many times. All my childhood next to me, to be the layer of myself. “(The girl of herself)

Words to say it – "the daughter lightning": flaw where

Reading also accompanied his writing. She quotes Borderline, of Marie-Sissi Labrèche, and Words to say it, by Marie Cardinal, as sources of inspiration. Words to say itit is the story of a woman in distress, who undertakes a psychoanalysis. This reading was an engine: I told myself that. too, I was going to write something that scares me, but that will free me. »»

This tension between violence and tenderness, pain and healing, crosses the whole book. Writing becomes a form of therapy, a way of freeing shame. “Thanks to therapy, I was able to acquire a vocabulary, finally name things. The power of words is the power to name. This book also speaks “the daughter lightning”: flaw where of self -empowerment. This girl, she has an inner job to do. She lives with emotional dependence. For a long time, I was ashamed of that. Now it’s better. »»

What if some find it too vulnerable? She responds with the same lucidity: “I think of people who say to me:” Yeah. it cries a lot in your writing. ” “Yeah, it’s not bad your obsession.” I don’t see anything wrong to cry often. It is, after all, the first thing we do when coming to the world. »»

A survivor

The book is also a survival story. The author immediately evokes the moments when she wanted to end her life. “This novel could have been called” The fault of itself “. Because it is the story of a protagonist who wants to free himself from what hinders her. but who discovers that she is also her own enemy. “the daughter lightning”: flaw where How to tame yourself when you are your own obstacle? »»

The violence crossed-physical. psychological, systemic-resonate strongly in an era marked by the declines of the rights of trans persons, particularly in the United States from the Trump era. “It is also a story of survivor who wants to deal with her life. And a reflection on rape, on the way in which this violence is still systemic today. »» The lightning girl offers a panoramic vision of the experience of transidentity. approaching transphobia, mental health problems, suicide, attacks, family relationships and couple relationships. The author admits wanting to raise awareness of this readership of various issues, in particular the dangers of dating.

Spirituality

Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay is also inhabited by a form of spirituality. During the interview. she took a fulgurite from her bag – silica stone formed by lightning – which she keeps preciously. “My grandfather worked for “the daughter lightning”: flaw where the government in the mining sector. He had a collection of stones, which I inherited at 11 years old. For me, stones are footprints, traces of history. »»

Who is the “girl of lightning”? “She is a girl in search of sweetness, who does not let herself be killed. A dignified girl, who does not give up. She has courage. She lets the fire live in her, without him containing it. »»

While we are preparing to conclude the interview, a flash crosss the Montreal sky. Lightning disappears immediately. Hallucination or reality? Chance is too good not to believe it.

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