Le Bruit du monde is the tale of a quest for freedom, a story of emancipation whose main character is a child, Marilène, whose social and inner path we follow until she reaches adulthood.

Marie-Helène Coulanges, nicknamed Marilène, is born into poverty. She grows up in Brigneau, a hamlet in the middle of nowhere.

Brigneau is the place of her childhood, of clubhouses and games, the places where her memories are forged, a place that seems to immobilize both beings and things; it’s also where Marilène grows up, becomes aware of her family’s rung on the social ladder, the place of her class origins, her disillusionment and coming rebellion.

Le Bruit du monde is a coming-of-age path, a path full of obstacles and falls, as well as hopes, desires and tenacity. The tale leads readers to explore their own inner route, their own doubts and hopes, secret wounds, injustices suffered, fear of failure… all those underground emotions that compose a life.

Giving up, and then finding your strength and resolve once again: to a certain extent, Marilène’s personal adventure is also everyone’s. A tale of thumbing one’s nose at fate.

A thoughtful and powerful text that portrays a woman’s losses and on-going struggles over the course of several decades.