A dazzling family saga, brimming with poetry and passion, that skillfully weaves together the private lives of individuals and major historical events in South America and Europe.&nbsp; The house on Calle Santo Domingo in Santiago de Chile, with its lush lemon trees, has sheltered three generations of the Lonsonier family. Having arrived from the harsh hills of France's Jura region with a single grape vine in one pocket and a handful of change in the other, the patriarch put down roots there in the late nineteenth century. His son, Lazare, back from World War I's hellish trenches, would live there with his wife and build in their garden the most beautiful aviary in the Andes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's where their daughter Margot, a pioneering aviator, would first dream of flying, and where she would raise her son, the revolutionary Ilario Da. Like Lazare before them, they will bravely face the conflicts of their day, fighting against dictatorship on both sides of the Atlantic. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this captivating saga, Miguel Bonnefoy paints the portrait of an endearing, uprooted family whose terrible dilemmas, caused by the blows of history, reveal their deep humanity.

Heritage: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Bonnefoy, Miguel

United States

Other Press

‘Simply magical’ Elle 
The story of Venezuela told through the adventures of kindly giant, Octavio. Struggling to conceal his illiteracy, he embarks on a transformative journey that unearths his life's purpose. “His body might have been hewn from a tree trunk; his heart would last for a hundred years. And, like a tree, he was one of those men who die standing up.” A chance meeting in the local pharmacy transforms the life of lonely, illiterate Octavio. He begins reading lessons and finds love and happiness for the very first time. But Octavio’s destiny lies elsewhere, as he will discover on a journey into the Venezuelan rainforest. Shortlisted for the Goncourt first novel award, this short but epic fable is both a hymn to Venezuela and the magical story of an extraordinary hero. Reviews ‘Could almost be a chapter from One Hundred Years of Solitude’ Sunday Times ‘A masterfully composed poetic and picaresque fable’ Le Figaro ‘A quite irresistible picaresque novel, in the vein of García Márquez’ Nouvel Observateur ‘(a) whistle-stop tour of a remote, seldom-touched-by-literature, and fully intriguing, but ultimately unfathomable, land’ The Book Bag ‘This short novel is impossible to put down (…) felt immersed in this Latin American world just the way I was when I first read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Paris Diary ‘We see Bonnefoy in an ode to his homeland and a fable like tale of what was and maybe a feeling that is lost . This is under hundred pages long a perfect evening read.’ Winstonsdad’s Blog ‘A wonderful debut’ Libération ‘Bewitching from the start’ Le Point

Octavio's Journey

Gallic Books

'A beautifully crafted tale of how small loves can grow into the big ones, often quite unexpectedly.’ The Irish Times A prize-winning author's magical realist fable about greed and corruption in Venezuela, Black Sugar gives a fascinating view of the country's social and economic development throughout the twentieth century through the story of a family of sugarcane growers. It tells of buried treasure and the legendary privateer Henry Morgan. On the edge of the Latin American rainforest, the Oteros family farm sugar cane in their remote corner of the earth. Cut off entirely from the modern world, life is peaceful, uneventful. Until, that is, a succession of ships arrive in search of Henry Morgan’s legendary lost treasure, said to be buried deep beneath the forest floor. Soon, the isolated villagers are exposed to all the trappings of modernity, while the travellers’ search for booty unearths more than anybody could have anticipated… And so it was that the treasure lay buried amid scraps of sail and a pirate’s corpse, preserved within the belly of the Caribbean… Reviews ‘Gallic Books have a lovely knack for publishing quirky and engaging novels, often compact and always accessible. Miguel Bonnefoy continues that tradition with his intriguing second novel, Black Sugar. With a pitch-perfect translation by Emily Boyce, this is a beautifully crafted tale of how small loves can grow into the big ones, often quite unexpectedly.’ The Irish Times ‘Its lyricism and vivid descriptions of a tropical landscape make it worth stopping by for.’ The Big Issue ‘An astonishing novel about the rise and fall of a family over time… Black Sugar is not to be missed.’ Portland Review of Books ‘Simply written, Miguel Bonnefoy’s story almost reads like a fable, weaving themes of greed and corruption into a pirate drama.’ World Literature Today ‘Bonnefoy’s French and South American heritage infuse the novel, it combines the best of the European tradition and magical realism. It’s a mix of folklore and exotic storytelling. Rich in description, lyrical, elegant and fantastical.’ Nudge Magazine ‘Entirely satisfying (…) Black Sugar holds its own in the Latin American magical-realism tradition.’ Foreword Reviews ‘Black Sugar comes out at a time when Venezuela is in the news for violence and turmoil. But Bonnefoy’s prose bursts with pride for the region and its people, particularly the farms and farmers. At the same time, he acknowledges the colonizing forces that fomented unrest, whose influence is felt today as the country destabilizes. It’s an important book to read right now, for even though it’s fantastical fiction, it gives the reader context for the next headline.’ Necessary Fiction ‘Black Sugar is a beautiful generational saga akin to One Hundred Years of Solitude or The House of the Spirits … Bonnefoy never loses his own voice and continues to write with strokes of brilliant colours and sounds.’ The Book Bag ‘Rich in sensuous imagery and wonderful descriptions.’ Trip Fiction ‘Black Sugar stands out as one of the beautiful surprises of this autumn … Here, everything is lived to the full, love passion and desire for power, fidelity and ambition.’ L’Express

Black Sugar

Jungle

Travel

Travel Writing

PAULSEN

Le Voyage d'Octavio

Literary

Rivages *

Le Voyage d'Octavio (French Edition)

Contemporary

Sucre noir (French Edition)

Héritage - Prix des Libraires 2021

Héritage

Genre Fiction

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