The emergence of nationalism in former Soviet states following the fall of communism has left Blaise Fortune and Gloria, the woman who has raised him since infancy, in constant search of a safe haven in the Caucasus. Their ultimate goal is France, where Blaise was born. Gloria has told the story of finding Blaise in the wreckage of a sabotaged train over and over again: she took the baby from a badly injured French woman who told her the child’s name. Blaise believes every breath of it, including the possibility of a mother still alive in France. Gloria has done everything possible to give Blaise a childhood, preserving his sense of hope, possibility, and wonder, and as he and Gloria are buffeted by political turmoil and violence, he never loses faith in her. Then she finally figures out a way to get him to France, and from the moment he arrives, the story that has defined him becomes more and more impossible to believe. As Blaise moves through adolescence into young adulthood, the truth about his past becomes clear and with it comes a sense of betrayal. A beautiful, heartbreaking novel from French author Anne-Laure Bondoux raises many questions as it explores complex political and emotional landscapes, but ultimately never doubts the power of love. (Age 13 and older)

Winner of the Batchelder Award--this tale of of exile, sacrifice, hope, and survival is a story of ultimate love.

Blaise Fortune, also known as Koumaïl, loves hearing the story of how he came to live with Gloria in the Republic of Georgia: Gloria was picking peaches in her father’s orchard when she heard a train derail. After running to the site of the accident, she found an injured woman who asked Gloria to take her baby. The woman, Gloria claims, was French, and the baby was Blaise.
 
When Blaise turns seven years old, the Soviet Union collapses and Gloria decides that she and Blaise must flee the political troubles and civil unrest in Georgia. The two make their way westward on foot, heading toward France, where Gloria says they will find safe haven. But what exactly is the truth about Blaise’s past?
Bits and pieces are revealed as he and Gloria endure a five-year journey across the Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life. During this time Blaise grows from a boy into an adolescent; but only later, as a young man, can he finally attempt to untangle his identity.
 
Bondoux’s heartbreaking tale of exile, sacrifice, hope, and survival is a story of ultimate love.


From the Hardcover edition.