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My Sister
After a thirty-year absence, Clémence returns to the remote mountain where she and her twin sister Lucie were born and where Lucie still lives.
Then the siren goes off, the dreaded warning that the glacier above their village is about to crack, and soon destroy everything in its path.
Lucie is desperate to evacuate, along with the rest of the villagers, but Clémence insists they stay. She says she’s on the run—no one must know she’s come back.
The two women are trapped. One terrified, one strangely calm, they shelter together beneath the glacier, surviving on dwindling supplies.
As catastrophe looms over them, the sisters’ lifelong conflicts return. But which one is telling the truth about their past?
My Sister is a novel about siblings who fear and love each other.
In this spine-chilling novel, Emmanuelle Salasc drills deep into our relationship with nature—and with those closest to us.
Prize-winning author Emmanuelle Salasc (formerly Pagano) was born in 1969 and lives in south-east France. She has written fifteen novels. One Day I’ll Tell You Everything, published by Text, won the European Prize for Literature and has been translated into more than fifteen languages. Faces on the Tip of My Tongue was longlisted for the International Booker Prize. She regularly collaborates with artists working in other disciplines.
Penny Hueston’s translations from French include novels by Emmanuelle Pagano (One Day I’ll Tell You Everything), Patrick Modiano (Little Jewel), Sarah Cohen-Scali (Max) and Raphaël Jerusalmy (Evacuation). She has translated seven books by Marie Darrieussecq—All the Way, Men, Being Here: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker, Our Life in the Forest, The Baby, Crossed Lines and Sleepless. She has been shortlisted for the JQ-Wingate Prize, the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, twice for the Scott Moncrief Prize, and twice for the New South Wales Premier’s Translation Prize. She was the winner of the 2020 Medal for Excellence in Translation.
Then the siren goes off, the dreaded warning that the glacier above their village is about to crack, and soon destroy everything in its path.
Lucie is desperate to evacuate, along with the rest of the villagers, but Clémence insists they stay. She says she’s on the run—no one must know she’s come back.
The two women are trapped. One terrified, one strangely calm, they shelter together beneath the glacier, surviving on dwindling supplies.
As catastrophe looms over them, the sisters’ lifelong conflicts return. But which one is telling the truth about their past?
My Sister is a novel about siblings who fear and love each other.
In this spine-chilling novel, Emmanuelle Salasc drills deep into our relationship with nature—and with those closest to us.
Prize-winning author Emmanuelle Salasc (formerly Pagano) was born in 1969 and lives in south-east France. She has written fifteen novels. One Day I’ll Tell You Everything, published by Text, won the European Prize for Literature and has been translated into more than fifteen languages. Faces on the Tip of My Tongue was longlisted for the International Booker Prize. She regularly collaborates with artists working in other disciplines.
Penny Hueston’s translations from French include novels by Emmanuelle Pagano (One Day I’ll Tell You Everything), Patrick Modiano (Little Jewel), Sarah Cohen-Scali (Max) and Raphaël Jerusalmy (Evacuation). She has translated seven books by Marie Darrieussecq—All the Way, Men, Being Here: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker, Our Life in the Forest, The Baby, Crossed Lines and Sleepless. She has been shortlisted for the JQ-Wingate Prize, the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, twice for the Scott Moncrief Prize, and twice for the New South Wales Premier’s Translation Prize. She was the winner of the 2020 Medal for Excellence in Translation.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 19, 2025
“There was no doubt we were part of the same story, my sister and I, but we hadn’t lived it in the same way.”
In My Sister, Emmanuelle Salasc delivers a gripping narrative that intertwines the complexities of familial relationships with the looming threat of environmental catastrophe. Set in the near future year of 2056, the story follows Clémence, who returns to her remote mountain village after a thirty year absence. Her reunion with twin sister Lucie is anything but warm, as they find themselves trapped beneath a glacier that’s on the verge of collapse.
Salasc explores the psychological tension between the sisters, delving into themes of trust, control, and the shadows of their shared past. The claustrophobic setting amplifies their strained relationship, making every interaction charged with emotion and suspense.
The novel’s backdrop, a village under threat from a destabilizing glacier, serves as a powerful metaphor for the fragility of both the environment and human connections. Salasc’s prose, translated by Penny Hueston, captures the beauty of the landscape and the raw intensity of the sisters’ bond.
My Sister is a compelling read that lingers long after the final page, prompting reflection on the ties that bind us and the forces that can tear us apart. It’s a testament to Salasc’s prowess in crafting stories that are both intimate and universally resonant.
I Highly Recommend.
Available Now!
Thank you Text Publishing for my early readers copy.
In My Sister, Emmanuelle Salasc delivers a gripping narrative that intertwines the complexities of familial relationships with the looming threat of environmental catastrophe. Set in the near future year of 2056, the story follows Clémence, who returns to her remote mountain village after a thirty year absence. Her reunion with twin sister Lucie is anything but warm, as they find themselves trapped beneath a glacier that’s on the verge of collapse.
Salasc explores the psychological tension between the sisters, delving into themes of trust, control, and the shadows of their shared past. The claustrophobic setting amplifies their strained relationship, making every interaction charged with emotion and suspense.
The novel’s backdrop, a village under threat from a destabilizing glacier, serves as a powerful metaphor for the fragility of both the environment and human connections. Salasc’s prose, translated by Penny Hueston, captures the beauty of the landscape and the raw intensity of the sisters’ bond.
My Sister is a compelling read that lingers long after the final page, prompting reflection on the ties that bind us and the forces that can tear us apart. It’s a testament to Salasc’s prowess in crafting stories that are both intimate and universally resonant.
I Highly Recommend.
Available Now!
Thank you Text Publishing for my early readers copy.
September 1, 2025
Can’t lie the cover is the reason I picked up this book and I’m glad I did. I don’t normally love reading books set in the future but really liked this and the references to how the world has changed due to climate change. It was at times challenging reading about the relationship between Lucie and Clémence due to the nature of it. Having that then set on the background of the glacier that may or may not break meant this was a page turner and I did really enjoy reading this! 4 ⭐️
July 20, 2025
Wow! This psychological thriller was extremely different to anything that I have read recently or perhaps ever. It is beautifully written, the tension building slowly until it’s spine chilling conclusion.
It is set 30 years in the future where climate change is being closely monitored and rules and regulations are in place to stem the destruction being caused. One regulation I found very interesting/disturbing was humusation - and had to google to see the validity of it. As cremations and burials were now illegal, being harmful to the environment, this was now the only option - the process of turning bodies into compost, nourishing the planet. Not quite sure that I am ready to become that “green” just yet!
The relationship that Lucie has with her mentally ill sister Clemence is extremely controlling and toxic. The story is at times confronting, and it is frustrating to see her continue to accept and allow it, but in this case blood ties bind. You witness the impact that her illness has on her sister, parents and also on herself dealing with this. “When I heard my parents say that Clemence was ‘unliveable’, I wondered if being unliveable meant making the life of others unliveable - or was it my sister who was unliving?”. Clemence’s lies are at times so convincing Lucie begins to not only believe them but also doubt her own beliefs.
The parallel between the glacier about to crack and destroy everything in its path, and the sister about to totally unravel and explode is very clever. Lucie’s unending fear of the violence of both of these situations is palpable.
An uncomfortable read, but an interesting, thought provoking and rewarding one too!
4.2⭐️’s
Thank you to @emmanuellesalasc and @textpubllishing for my copy to review.
July 21, 2025
Emmanuelle Salasc's My Sister is a chilling mind f*k that weaves an ecological dystopia with coercive control.
As a glacier again threatens her home village, MC Lucie becomes trapped, both psychologically and physically, with the return of twin sister Clémence after a thirty year absence. The mind f*k lies in Salasc's portrayal of Clémence's relentless manipulation and toxic sibling dynamics.
Thank you to Text Publishing for my copy of My Sister. It's a book I certainly won't be able to forget in a hurry.
As a glacier again threatens her home village, MC Lucie becomes trapped, both psychologically and physically, with the return of twin sister Clémence after a thirty year absence. The mind f*k lies in Salasc's portrayal of Clémence's relentless manipulation and toxic sibling dynamics.
Thank you to Text Publishing for my copy of My Sister. It's a book I certainly won't be able to forget in a hurry.
August 26, 2025
What an appalling mess of a novel ... I struggled through 111 pages of the most absurd over- description and endless inventories of things, actions, and emotions till I could stand no more. The characters were utterly despicable - the author may have thought there was some twin-love reaching through the years of selfishness and abuse, but I couldn't believe any of it. An utter waste of time, both for me and the author...
August 27, 2025
A story of twin sisters Lucie and Clemence, growing up in a remote alpine region. Clemence is troubled and violent and abusive to her family. Always in trouble and disappearing for lengths of time until eventually disappearing for thirty years. She returns and moves in with Lucie, hiding out from dangerous criminals. The other imminent danger is the glacier they live under that is threatening to collapse.
Clemence is a ghastly character, obviously suffering from mental issues but very hard to like. Both her and the glacier make for anxious reading. The narrative is somewhat dragged out and the constant lists of things frustrates.
Clemence is a ghastly character, obviously suffering from mental issues but very hard to like. Both her and the glacier make for anxious reading. The narrative is somewhat dragged out and the constant lists of things frustrates.
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August 1, 2025The following reviews have been shared by Text Publishing, publisher of My Sister.
‘With its sparse elegance, psychological acuity, and environmental resonance, My Sister is a novel of remarkable subtlety and power.’
NZ Booklovers
‘With its sparse elegance, psychological acuity, and environmental resonance, My Sister is a novel of remarkable subtlety and power.’
NZ Booklovers
August 24, 2025
Very good writing, set in the 2050s with a cool, original climate change concept. Deals with pretty intense mental health issues. Our September book club read!!
Read by Mahli and Belinda
Read by Mahli and Belinda
October 8, 2025
Really interesting book. Not what I expected. It had some very comfronting moments and touched on a lot of sensitive topics that aren't often discussed.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews