The Governor's Daughter

by Paule Constant, Betsy Wing (Translator)

The Governor’s Daughter is an extraordinary tale of innocence adrift in a monstrous world. Set just after World War I in the French penal colony in Cayenne, French Guiana, it is the story of Chrétienne, the seven-year-old daughter of the colony’s governor and his obsessively devout wife, whom the convicts acidly call the “Mother of God.” Chrétienne’s disarmingly clear view of the adults with whom she lives—her pious parents and the notorious convicts in their charge—is both hilarious and harrowing. Her parents, driven by their desire for sainthood, subject Chrétienne and the prisoners alike to inhuman rigors and coldness. Denied it by her family, the child finds human contact among the convicts, especially the Chinese murderer Tang. Pervading all is the grotesque yet fascinating atmosphere of the penal colony and its colonial setting—an atmosphere that we discover through the alert, inquisitive consciousness of a young girl. Constant’s portrayal of Chrétienne and her frightening life in the penal colony is unforgettable—the work of a major literary, and satiric, talent. The Governor’s Daughter is one of the most acclaimed French novels of recent years.

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Paule Constant est une écrivaine française, qui a passé une grande partie de sa vie à l'étranger: Afrique, Asie et Amérique du Sud. Depuis le 8 janvier 2013, elle est membre de l'Académie Goncourt.

Paule Constant is a French novelist, who spend many years abroad: Africa, Asia and South America. Since january, 8, 2013, she is a member of the Académie Goncourt.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was recommended to me as a follow-up to richard hughes' fantastic a high wind in jamaica. this is a low "3 out of 5" rating-- i'd suggest abandoning it after about 60 pages, to be honest. it gets off to a good start-- a bizarre, lyrical tale of a little girl growing up in a colonial penal colony in french guiana. constant has a knack for rich descriptions; the first few chapters read like a more impressionistic gunter grass, maybe. unfortunately, the book begins to lack focus beyond its stylistic confidence. eventually its surrealistic embellishments take over, and contrived imagery (circus freaks, a leper colony, etc.) too often becomes a substitute for atmosphere. which is a shame because there are some great passages swimming around in all that gravy.

[appo · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'aurais plutôt mis 3,5 mais puisque l'on ne peut pas encore faire ça sur Goodreads, ce sera donc 4 !
Autant que livre était étrange et un peu "dérangeant", il était également très bon. Le bagne vu sous le prisme de l'enfance (bon, soyons honnête, la gamine était effrayante) est intéressant puisqu'il montre comment le développement et l'éducation dans un tel environnement sont assez... particuliers disons. D'un point de vue psychologique, la psyché des personnages était intéressante à tout point de vue.

[Jeanne-Elise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Histoire cruelle de Chrétienne, une enfant élevée par des bagnards endurcis au lendemain de la Grande Guerre. C'est la descente aux enfers d'une petite fille dont le père, le gobernator, est un tokard et la mère, une infirmière, est inutile. Ainsi ses seuls amis sont un crapaud, un chien mourant et des têtes tranchées conservées dans des bocaux de formol.
C'est une Alice au pays des démons, ou encore le déploiement de névroses et de traumatismes d'une enfant.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do sweet images become fix? How does the heart recognize the ones that remain? In an ocean of mud and misery, in the midst of tears and screems, she had been given these, and they had saved her life.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chrétienne, a young child abandoned by her parents, discovers the life long convicts in Cayenne. The exuberant nature of Guyana is terrible and nightmarish. "La fille du Gobernator" is the despairing story of a childhood without love, without hope. Paule Constant's writing is strong and fierce, and fits perfectly this ferocious tale.