The Forests: A Novel - Sandrine Collette

The sole survivor of a climate apocalypse searches for his adoptive grandmother in the acclaimed French author's "unforgettable epic" (Le Figaro).

Winner of the 2020 Grand Prix RTL-Lire

From earliest childhood, Corentin's life is sad and solitary. Abandoned by his mother, he finally finds a home with Augustine, an old woman who lives deep in the Valley of the Forests. Years later, he moves to the city to pursue his studies-and discovers the dazzling pleasures and distractions of urban life.

Around him, though, the world is on fire. Temperatures continue to rise, causing a permanent draught. The rivers of Corentin's childhood have long dried up; the trees shed their leaves in June. A terrible catastrophe is brewing.

The night when the worst happens, Corentin miraculously survives. When he reemerges from the city's catacombs, he finds a devastated landscape, completely devoid of life. Human, tree, or beast: nothing is left. But Corentin doesn't give up. Armed with nothing more than hope, he sets off on a journey to find old Augustine.