Without taking any liberties, Bruno Pellegrino affectionately and discreetly takes readers on tiptoe in the footsteps of the Swiss poet Gustave Roud and his sister Madeleine, into times gone by and their world of poetry, their everyday life, his writing and feelings. As the author evokes the Vaud countryside from the 1960s, describing the plough horses and hay carts which returned “victorious and happy”, he praises this bygone world and brings it closer to 21st-century readers.

The novel recalls one of the finest Swiss poets, a discreet and sensitive man who devoted his entire life to his art. With a rare sense of joy, Bruno Pellegrino proves to be equal to the poet he succeeds, in commemorating Carrouge and its reclaimed countryside.

His style is wonderfully in tune with that of his protagonist, reflecting the graceful rhythm of both Gustave Roud’s work and lifestyle. We can practically hear the conversations between the siblings and picture their daily pursuits. Gustave Roud’s elder sister had been kept in the wings until Bruno Pellegrino granted Madeleine her rightful place and literally brings her to life. Her strong and endearing personality, as well as her reliable presence, undoubtedly contributed to Gustave’s accomplishments. Justice has been served.