Book Review – La Petite Fille de Monsieur Linh

Philippe Claudel’s Poignant Contemporary French Novel

May 8, 2009

French author Claudel's 2005 novel about cultural displacement and the power of friendship is a touching story with a surprising twist.

The opening paragraph of La Petite Fille de Monsieur Linh sets the emotional tone for the rest of this slim book. Monsieur Linh, a refugee, stands at the rear of a boat watching his country disappear behind him. He cradles in his arms a sleeping newborn baby, his granddaughter, while he stares at the vast expanse of water where his country used to be.

Claudel’s Novel Examines Trauma, Isolation and Culture Shock

Monsieur Linh arrives at his destination with nothing but his traumatic memories, the haunting image of finding his son and daughter-in-law after a bombing, their infant and her doll lying by the side of a ditch. The little girl is still alive and he decides to get her away from the war and to safety. For her and because of the trauma he's experienced, he is willing to leave his beloved homeland.

Claudel works an intricate portrait of Monsieur Linh’s isolation in his new home. The other refugees in the detention center are not particularly kind, most of them dealing with their own loss and unsure how to care for the traumatized old man. The caseworkers at the center are compassionate, but overworked. Monsieur Linh becomes increasingly isolated.

When Monsieur Linh is finally compelled to leave the detention center and walk around the city each day, he is faced with an endless series of frustrations and confusing interactions. Claudel gets to the heart of the refugee experience – bewilderment, commotion, and fear.

One afternoon, Monsieur Linh finds himself seated beside another man on a bench in the park. The man tries to speak to him, but of course these two lonely figures have no common language. With incredible narrative skill, Claudel manages to give these two men a conversation and Monsieur Linh experiences something other than hostility and frustration. He returns to the bench, day after day, called by the pull of a developing friendship with the widower Monsieur Bark.

Slowly Monsieur Bark and Monsieur Linh learn to understand each other. They exchange cigarettes and other gifts. Monsieur Bark takes an interest in Monsieur Linh’s granddaughter, calling her a beautiful “little doll” and bringing her a new dress. Their friendship deepens, providing Monsieur Linh with a way to escape his tragic memories and learn his way around his new home.

Monsieur Linh’s Unexpected Ending

Trauma is a powerful force and Claudel’s novel pushes this idea to its extreme when Monsieur Linh is placed in a home for the elderly against his wishes. How will he continue to care for his granddaughter? How will he be able to see his new friend?

On the surface, the novel is a touching story of cultural displacement and renewal through friendship. But the darker elements of Monsieur Linh’s experience will not be that easy for him to leave behind. Claudel illustrates this truth with a surprising and unexpected twist!

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