Filles de la Walïlü
(The Walïlü's daughters) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
On the Iurföll peninsula, women are in charge of society. The men spend most of the year at sea on their fishing boats. The women are very proud of their matriarchal traditions and do not take kindly to outsiders. This is where Albaan Blosseüm grows up with her best friend Lilijann and her little brother Yohann. Albaan is an anxious child who is scared by the eerie tales of Iurföll folklore, especially the Walïlü, a mysterious creature that gobbles up boys and girls. But Albaan faces more immediate dangers. An outsider with burn scars on her face tells anyone who will listen that Albaan’s family is cursed and turns the people of Iurföll against them. One day, Yohann is found injured on the beach…
Edited by: Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Comment:
A striking novel full of suspense to the very end! A tale of family secrets, terrifying legends, and dubious scientific experiments, Les filles de la Walïlü is a tightly packed, thrilling novel with strong, complex female characters. The women of Iurföll govern their peninsula, work at trades, and enjoy sexual freedom. To create her fictional peninsula, Cécile Roumiguière was inspired by Kihnu, an island off the coast of Estonia run by women while the men are at sea for months on end. She also researched the lives of women in the matrilinear Moso culture in China, who lead sexually free lives. The author gives a new twist to the stock character of the witch in two background characters, Soriane the evil witch and Nanna, the good-natured wise woman. The plot is set in a landscape of forests and frozen lakes, creating a spellbinding atmosphere.