Books: Monsieur Linh and his child by Philippe Claudet

Monsieur Linh and his child Picture taken from
maclehosepress.com

For those who want to read a short, emotional and heartfelt book, Monsieur Linh and his child is the right book for you. This brief piece tells the story of an old asian man who has to leave his village because of the fray of war. He travels light in the company of his baby grandchild, everything that is left of his family and his old life.

The story begins when he gets off the boat that takes him from everything that he knows and all the people that he loves into a foreign country where people speak a different language and don´t understand him or his traditions. In the time that spans between his arrival in a sort of refugees camp until he can be put into a nursing home he becomes friends with a native man that he mets at a bench in the park everyday.

Both men tell each other their stories of loss and sadness and share their sorrow. Somehow, despite the language barrier, they manage to develop a friendship that ends when Monsieur Linh is taken to a nursing home.

A deeply moving story that makes the reader suffer with every predicament that Monsieur Linh faces along the way and that ends up with an unexpected twist that will move any sensitive hearts. I totally recommend reading it if you are looking for a well-written, sensitive and intimate story.