August 1, 1914: after a long journey, Henri, a young artist, arrives on the Isle of B. He has come to see Youna, the woman he loves, but who left him. The tale is set in early 20^th century Brittany, and it takes place over the span of twenty-four hours. Like a voyeur, the reader follows Henri’s trials and tribulations on the island over the course of this fateful day, when he will step inside a landscape as magically poetical as a Chinese painting. He will encounter many people before the final, tragic pages.

De terre et de mer, Sophie Van der Linden’s third novel, confirms her talent. As in La Fabrique du monde (World Factory), she explores the ties that love weaves and frays with a keen eye.