THOSE WHO REMAIN

Jean Michelin

(Éditions Héloïse d’Ormesson, 240 pages, 2022)

***shortlisted for the Grand prix du roman de l’académie française 2022***

Those Who Remain fascinated me even though I don’t know anything about the army, this environment not attracting me particularly, but I discovered, thanks to Jean Michelin and to his subtle writing, and to the magnificent portraits that he paints, all the humanity which welds these men.

—Sandy Lafosse, bookseller

Lulu, a soldier who carried out many missions, has disappeared. With their captain’s approval, his brothers-in-arms decide to look for him. They have one week to find him.

In this quest, we follow four characters: Stéphane, a military officer who recently retired, and shows some serious PTSD; Marouane, a sergeant, who experiences daily racism; Romain, the youngest of them; and Lieutenant Charlier, a newcomer who succeeded Stéphane.

Written like a police investigation, throughout chapters named “Here,” “There,” and “Elsewhere,” the novel takes us into a terrifying story of brotherhood amid war zones where slow, difficult, and yet necessary reflection plunge the men into a painful past experience.

More than a novel about war, Those Who Remain is above all a story of friendship and loyalty, a tribute to those men and women who stay behind, running the house, taking care of the children, being strong. It’s also a tribute to those who come back, who stayed alive while others were not so lucky.

This intense novel does not hesitate to take an unexpected and surprising direction, undeniably bringing a plus to the plot. The topics addressed by Michelin are deep and meaningful, and the characters are portrayed with authenticity and humanity. Men are at the core of this story, but female voices are also heard, notably the soldiers’ wives.

This captivating novel will linger with you, and open up your horizons.

A lieutenant colonel in the French Army, Jean Michelin has completed missions in Kosovo, Guyana, Afghanistan, and Mali, among others. He is the author of Jonquille, an essay published in 2017 by Gallimard. Those Who Remain is his first novel.