A school teacher suspects the father of one of his students of abusing his son. He discusses it with other teachers and the headmistress. The latter is mostly concerned about keeping the peace at her school. Arthur lives alone with his dog; his parents live in a village in the hinterland of Nice. He is worried about Lilian. He has not been trained for this, to detect possible abuse.
This poignant and very human novel will lead this teacher, now referred to as a school teacher, down a path whose consequences he will no longer measure. Has he gone too far? But could he have stayed silent? They tell him to close his eyes, but he cannot, especially given his experiences. Arthur Grimbert faces a moral dilemma. He has suspicions, even certainties, but no proof. The child is withdrawn, fearful.
He will open up to him, give him self-confidence. Then there is the widowed father with this only son. Here too, there are heavy secrets, the mother’s death and the father’s reaction to this tragedy. We are on stage with the teacher, the child, and his father. It is an opera with a tragic outcome. The author’s talent is to immerse us in this story where we are captivated by the twists and turns.
We are in Nice, and Nadia Abed describes her city with love and passion. They told this school teacher to close his eyes, but he didn’t, wanting to save Lilian and give back the childhood he was deprived of.
Thierry Jan
