Firstly, a huge thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 14/01/2021
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Translated Fiction | French Fiction | Literary Fiction

CW: n/a

Marie owes Michka more than she can say – but Michka is getting older, and can’t look after herself any more. So Marie has moved her to a home where she’ll be safe.

But Michka doesn’t feel any safer; she is haunted by strange figures who threaten to unearth her most secret, buried guilt, guilt that she’s carried since she was a little girl. And she is losing her words – grasping more desperately day by day for what once came easily to her.

Jérôme is a speech therapist, dispatched to help the home’s ageing population snatch and hold tight onto the speech still afforded to them. But Michka is no ordinary client.

Michka has been carrying an old debt she does not know how to repay – and as her words slide out of her grasp, time is running out.

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Review

Gratitude centres on the lives of three characters, with the narrative alternating between them. We have Marie, a young woman who has had a troubled childhood, Jérôme an optimistic speech therapist who dedicates himself to helping older people reclaim lost language and finally Michka, a woman who has spent her entire life working with words but they have suddenly started to disappear. Although this is a novella, you very quickly build a relationship and become endeared to each character in a way that feels as though you have known them for a lot longer. Whilst Michka is the protagonist of the novella, we primarily see her through Marie’s and Jérôme’s perspectives. I thought this was a great way of introducing her character. She was so strong and determined yet scared and vulnerable which felt so genuine and raw which broke my heart.

I also loved the different ways she interacted with Marie and Jérôme and what she does for these people even if she doesn’t realise it. We also learn a lot about Michka just through what Marie and Jérôme do for her and what they think about her. Seeing how they have opened their hearts to her and how she does the same means you find it happening to you too. I also really loved Jérôme and his love of his work. I just loved his view of his work and the people that he worked with. It was so fascinating to read, both somber and inspiring.

The way that de Vigan illustrates Aphasia and its impact on Michka, and those around her, was particularly well done. At first it just appeared to be the odd slip of the tongue but as the story progressed we saw how it’s much more than that. This is made even more impactful by the fact that this is a novella, so it seems to take hold of her very quickly. Additionally, the fact that the novel is written in such a beautifully poetic, almost lyrical, way really emphasised the importance and power of language so to witness a character begin to lose this was a very emotional read.

However, whilst this novella is powerful and emotional, there are plenty of moments that make you smile and make you think. Whilst I would have loved Michka’s past to be further developed and more information regarding her ‘guilt’ to be shared, the fact that she was determined to do and to find, as well as the connections she made through her life was so fascinating and inspiring. The entire theme of this novel is, as the title suggests, ‘gratitude’ but more importantly to get you to reflect upon when you have been thankful, genuinely too not just small everyday thank yous. This novella also serves as a reminder to tell those you love how you truly feel, how they have genuinely helped you or helped shape you for the better. As the novella points out, there is no set or ‘proper’ way to measure gratitude, yet it’s still important to express it while you can regardless. Which, now more than ever, seems even more important.

I really enjoyed spending a couple of hours with these characters and reading their stories, and although I shed some tears at times I feel better for having read it. This novella seems to have come at the perfect time and it’s one you should definitely make time for.