"With delicacy, Nathalie Piégay enters the very heart of Aragon's biographical imaginary, and brings back to life a woman who constantly had to step aside, wait and support her closest ones, for whom she eternally remained in debt." Le Monde

"A stunning subjective biography. Nathalie Piégay has the delicacy to present her literary investigation by way of a simple stroll through the life of this anonym celebrity (...). We know of Elsa’s Eyes by Aragon. It is now time to know about those of Marguerite." L'Express

"Nathalie Piégay's book finally brings justice to this discreet woman without whom Aragon's voice would have never resounded." Le Figaro Littéraire

★ ONE OF THE 3 FINALISTS OF THE PRIX RENAUDOT ESSAY 2018
★ The little-known life of Marguerite Toucas-Massillon, mother of Louis Aragon explored by one of the poet(s best-known specialists.
★ An outstanding debut literary work, a romanesque biographical research novel with a profoundly-poetic tune and intimate style, illuminating the life of a selfless mother living in the shadows.

It is rarely known that Marguerite Toucas-Massillon was the mother of Louis Aragon, unmarried and young, forced to pretend to be Aragon's sister to protect her child and her family from public shame. It is even less known that the internationally-renowned poet was the result of her love affair with an influential French politician, Louis Andrieux, thirty years her senior, who would never acknowledge his love-child.

By peppering her beautiful, heartfelt narrative with Aragon's poems, and sweeping her way through the people and customs of picturesque rural France of the XXth century, Nathalie Piégay reconstructs the life of a docile, discreet woman from the French bourgeoisie. We discover a whole new way of considering womanhood and maternity, embodied by this loving individual who led an invisible life to preserve the dignity of her most cherished ones.

Nathalie Piégay holds a PhD on the works of Aragon, and is one of the best specialists of the poet today, and also of Claude Simon and Robert Pinget. She teaches modern and contemporary French literature at the University of Geneva.

This is her first novel, and already critically-acclaimed and shortlistd for one of the most prestigious literary French prizes.