Aurelien, Clara, Mademoiselle et le Lieutenant anglais.

• Author: Mujica, Barbara

In this poetic, sinister tale of hope and deception, men are silent and nature speaks in whispers. Born in the town of Sainte-Clothilde, in the province of Quebec, Clara is raised by her taciturn father, Aurelien, with only the voices of the countryside to keep her company. Clara's mother died in childbirth. Standing by his wife's grave at the funeral, Aurelien had a sudden flash of insight that obliterated his faith. "Not Christ, nor Church, nor redemption, nor resurrection of the flesh. Aurelien had lost his faith as one loses the key to one's house and can never again go home." He withdraws into himself, raising his daughter without words. He carries her with him everywhere, tied up in a faded, old, blue garment, her diapers stinking. Clara grows up imitating the sounds of nature, purring and howling before she can speak. Aurelien notes with satisfaction that his little daughter is able to produce a wider range of sounds than an opera singer.

The appearance of the village schoolmistress, known only as Mademoiselle, changes Clara's life. With tremendous urgency Mademoiselle seeks to teach the child everything she knows. Clara, who at first is far behind her age group, soon catches up, then surpasses her peers. Her only thought is to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic so that she can spend as much time as possible with Mademoiselle. The two become inseparable. The young woman seems anxious to impart every modicum of her knowledge to Clara. When she suddenly realizes she has forgotten to teach her to play the flute, she becomes almost hysterical, dragging the girl to her home to begin music lessons immediately. And then, once again, everything changes. Mademoiselle is terminally ill. Clara cares for her, thinking of her mother, the first woman to die giving her life. Now, her spiritual and intellectual mother will also die giving her life. Mademoiselle leaves everything to Clara - her books, her clothes, her beloved flute. When she is gone, Clara plunges back into silence.

The years pass. Clara is almost fifteen, and...