Capitaine by Adrien Bosc

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After having documented a historic transatlantic voyage by air in his delightful Constellation, Adrien Bosc decides to use his impressive talent to describe another historic transatlantic voyage–but this time by sea.

The Capitaine-Paul-Lemerle left Marseille in March 1941, fleeing Vichy France and the devastation of the war. But unlike many other boats doing likewise, this one had some very unusual passengers: Andre Breton, Claude Levi-Strauss, Wifredo Lam, and Victor Serge to name just a few. These extraordinary personalities are joined by refugees, stateless immigrants, and an entire kaleidoscope of other personalities–creating a polyphonic voice that reflects a remarkable cross-section of war-time Europe.

In his clean and fluid style, Bosc displays his mastery of and fascination for gestalt, using this isolated setting as a vessel for both the remarkable stories of these individuals as well as the fate of Europe as a whole.

Bosc is working towards becoming a truly great author; and this book is yet another step forward in that rare direction.

Originally from Indiana, Adam Hocker has spent his life travelling and working with books. After having taught English in China, he started working at Farrar, Straus and Giroux as their Sales and Marketing Associate. He then lived in Paris for four years, working as a translator and editor for institutions such as the Sorbonne and Éditions du Seuil. A seasoned bookseller, as well as a great lover of literature, philosophy, and music, Adam is delighted to be joining Albertine as their new bookseller and English language buyer.
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