The book
A man’s quest to bring new life to a desolate world
“An unforgettable epic.”—Le Figaro
“An extremely addictive, cinematic novel.”—Madame Figaro
“Halfway between The Road by Cormac McCarthy and In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke. In this radiantly beautiful book, Sandrine Collette achieves a perfect balance between horror and beauty, finding poetry even in the dust.”—ELLE
Nobody wanted Corentin. His father left him, his mother dreams of getting rid of him. Dragged from home to home, his childhood is an aimless pilgrimage, until the day his mother leaves him with old Augustine. Life begins anew for him. Deep into the remote, verdant Valley of the Forests, Corentin finds the care and love he’s been missing.
When he grows up and moves to the city, Corentin immerses himself in the dazzling pleasures and distractions of urban life. But all around him, the world is on fire. Temperatures rise, rivers dry up, trees shed their leaves in June: a catastrophe is brewing.
The night the worst happens, Corentin survives, hidden in the depths of the city’s catacombs. When he emerges, he finds a devastated landscape devoid of life. Human, tree, or beast: nothing is left. But Corentin, armed only with hope, sets off on a journey to find Augustine.
The author
Sandrine Collette
Sandrine Collette was born in Paris in 1970. She divides her time between Nanterre, where she teaches philosophy and literature, and Burgundy, where she has a horse stud. She is the author of numerous novels. Nothing but Dust, winner of the Landerneau Prize for crime fiction, is her English language debut.