Alain Farah’s novel A Thousand Secrets, A Thousand Dangers won the Montreal Library Club award this Thursday.
The 108 members of the jury chose the work published in 2021 by Le Quartanier (and which received the Governor General’s Literary Award last fall) after a very tight fight, according to Marie-Anne Poggi, the instigator of the book club initiated 15 years ago.
Karine Tuil’s novel La Decision (Gallimard) came second, followed – in order – by La Jeune fille à la tresse, by Françoise de Luca (Leaf Merchant), Les Villages de Dieu, by Emmelie Prophète (Mémoire d’encrier), and Blizzard, by Marie Vingtras (Éditions de l’Olivier).
These titles – which have common themes such as family, uprooting, religious beliefs, mutual aid, friendship and love, pointed out Ms. Poggi – were chosen among the 577 literary favorites of the members of the Club. of reading in 2022.
Last year, the prize was awarded to two novels that tied for the vote: Kukum, by Michel Jean, and Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel.