Summary
A story of parentage and provincial life, The Foundling Boy is a coming of age tale set in France at a time where Europe teeters on the precipice of war.
'Quiet, wryly funny prose ... a delight' Independent on Sunday
It is 1919. On a summer's night in Normandy, a new-born baby is left in a basket outside the home of Albert and Jeanne Arnaud. The childless couple take the foundling in, name him Jean, and decide to raise him as their own, though his parentage remains a mystery. Though Jean's life is never dull, he grows up knowing little of what lies beyond his local area. Until the day he sets off on his bicycle to discover the world, and encounters a Europe on the threshold of interesting times...
Michel Déon published over fifty works. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Prix Interallié for his 1970 novel, Les Poneys Sauvages (The Wild Ponies). His 1973 novel, Un Taxi Mauve, garnered him international renown when it received the esteemed title of the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française. His novels have been translated into numerous languages. He was considered one of the most innovative French writers of the 21st century. A member of the Académie française, Déon was one of just forty members who are elected by their peers to serve for life. Déon died in 2016.
Julian Evans grew up in Australia and London in the 1960s. He is a writer and translator. He has written and presented radio and television documentaries and writes for English and French newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, Prospect, Times Literary Supplement and L'Atelier du Roman. He is a recipient of the Prix du Rayonnement de la Langue Française from the Académie Française. He currently lives in London with his wife and their two children.
