On Thursday, October 8, the Albertine Book club will discuss the novel The Deserters by Mathias Énard, translated from the French by Charlotte Mandell and published by New Directions.

The winner of the French-American Foundation Translation Prize 2026 and longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize, The Deserters is a triumphant novel that balances the weight of love and politics, loyalty and belief, hope and survival.

A filthy and exhausted soldier emerges from the Mediterranean wilderness. He is escaping from an unspecified war, trying to flee incessant violence and find refuge in solitude, but a chance encounter with a civilian forces him to make a difficult decision. On September 11, 2001, aboard a small cruise ship, a scientific conference in honoring the East German mathematician Paul Heudeber, a committed communist and anti-fascist and a survivor of Buchenwald.

Albertine members will receive an invitation by email.

Moderated by the Albertine staff, the Albertine book club is open to Albertine members only. Members are free to speak in English or in French, but a strong command of the French language is recommended to attend. For more information on how to become an Albertine member click here.