ASTRAGAL is a semi-autobiographical novel penned by Albertine Sarrazin, a French author of Algerian descent whose literary star was rising in the 1960s before her life was cut short at age 30. This fiercely anti-authoritarian tale follows Anne, a 19-year-old delinquent who escapes incarceration by jumping over the prison wall. During the fall Anne's ankle is broken, creating a new set of claustrophobic restraints to overcome as she navigates life on the lam. Originally published in 1965, ASTRAGAL was reprinted by New Directions in 2013 at the behest of Sarrazin superfan Patti Smith, who contributed an effusive introduction. Employing narrative jumps reminiscent of Godard, Sarrazin imparts a compelling glimpse of France's 1960s counter-culture suffused with urgency and dynamism. Translated from the French by Patsy Southgate. 🇫🇷 #translatedtuesday #albertinesarrazin #astragal (at Unabridged Bookstore)
