The Braid
Laetitia Colombani
Translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie
05 February 2020
9781509881109Synopsis
Three women. Three countries. One unforgettable journey. The Braid is a vibrant and singular reminder of what connects us all – across borders, across languages, across cultures.
‘A beautifully written novel of determination, bravery, and hope. You will remember Smita, Giulia, and Sarah long after you’ve read their stories.’ – AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird
In India, Smita is an untouchable. She dreams of giving her young daughter an education and will go to any length to make that happen, including leaving behind all she knows in search of a better future.
In Sicily, Giulia works in her father’s wig workshop, the last of its kind in Palermo. When her father is the victim of a serious accident, she discovers that her family’s livelihood is at stake.
In Canada, Sarah is a twice-divorced mother of three children and a successful lawyer whose identity is wrapped up in her work. Just as she expects the promotion she’s been working her entire career for, she learns she has breast cancer.
'Laetitia Colombani is master at the art of storytelling.' – Le Monde
We truly loved reading this beautiful, simple novel . . . with characters who teach or remind us of the all too often unacceptable conditions in which women around the world live.ELLE (France)
The Braid is a beautifully written novel of determination, bravery and hope. You will remember Smita, Giulia and Sarah long after you’ve read their stories.AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird
A screenwriter and director, Laetitia Colombani is clearly a master of the art of storytelling and editing. She creates female characters with strong personalities, whose lives she interweaves in a hopeful vision. But her writing is sensitive and restrained enough to save the novel from any accusation that it’s nothing more than a ‘feel good’ book.Le Monde
