Mama câinelui

Raraou tells her life story against the hardships of war. In a small Greek town during World War II, hunger shapes each day. Mothers turn to sex work to feed their children. Fathers leave to fight for a cause they do not trust. Faced with this world, the young girl seeks beauty through her imagination. Her life crosses those of other people caught in war.

Pavlos Matesis blends pain and humour in this novel about Greek society. Raraou's childlike voice raises questions about what people do to survive. It tests the worth of ideals and the claims of patriotism. Her search for an elusive dream also reflects a country's lasting wounds. These span World War II, the Resistance and the Greek Civil War.

Matesis was born in Divri in the Peloponnese in 1933. He studied acting in Athens and worked as a translator. He wrote plays, short fiction, novels and television scripts. His plays won Greek state and Athens theatre awards. This novel brought him wider notice in 1990. It has since appeared in many languages and editions. Quintet Publishing included it in its selection of 1,001 books to read in a lifetime.

This edition belongs to the Byblos series. Claudiu Sfirschi-Laudat translated it from Greek.