The Margot Affair
Sanae Lemoine, 2020
Random House
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781984854438
Summary
The secret daughter of a French politician and a famous actress drops the startling revelation that will shatter her family in this beguiling debut novel of intrigue and betrayal.
Margot Louve is a secret: the child of a longstanding affair between an influential French politician with presidential ambitions and a prominent stage actress. This hidden family exists in stolen moments in a small Parisian apartment on the Left Bank.
It is a house of cards that Margot—fueled by a longing to be seen and heard—decides to tumble.
The summer of her seventeenth birthday, she meets the man who will set her plan in motion: a well-regarded journalist whose trust seems surprisingly easy to gain. But as Margot is drawn into an adult world she struggles to comprehend, she learns how one impulsive decision can threaten a family’s love with ruin, shattering the lives of those around her in ways she could never have imagined.
Exposing the seams between private lives and public faces, The Margot Affair is a novel of deceit, desire, and transgression—and the exhilarating knife-edge upon which the danger of telling the truth outweighs the cost of keeping secrets. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Paris, France
• Raised—France and Australia
• Education—B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.F.A., Columbia University
• Currently—lives in New York, New York
Sanae Lemoine was born in Paris to a Japanese mother and French father, and raised in France and Australia. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her MFA at Columbia University. She now lives in New York. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[A] gorgeous debut novel…. Even when Margot is at her most misguided, the reader aches for her. Lemoine… perfectly captures the heightened emotion and confusion of being a young woman with a bruised heart and limited experience. Though the book seems to be about an absent father, it's more about a tricky mother, and about motherhood in general. It asks the ultimate question about this most complicated of relationships: What will a mother do for her child?
Sarah Lyall - New York Times
[S]umptuous…. The eclectic cast and rich Parisian backdrop deepen this dramatic exploration of family and the trials of early adulthood. Francophiles and anyone who appreciates an emotionally rewarding story will enjoy Lemoine’s lush, well-crafted tale.
Publishers Weekly
This thoughtful and beautifully written first novel perfectly portrays the inner life of a teen as she navigates the path to adulthood. It's hard to put down and highly recommended for readers who love coming-of-age stories. —Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA
Library Journal
[This] moody bildungsroman… moves at a satisfyingly quick pace, and Lemoine’s prose is visually and emotionally precise…. An engrossing, impressive debut novel that skillfully charts a young Frenchwoman’s coming-of-age.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. The Margot Affair is a novel of intrigue and betrayal that explores many themes, including family, friendship, romance, and trauma. Which theme takes center stage for you and why?
2. How would you characterize Margot’s relationship with her father? She specifically recounts a weekend they spent together a few years ago, including a dinner they had together. What is the significance of this trip? How does this weekend inform Margot’s perception of their relationship?
3. What role does Margot’s friendship with Juliette play in Margot’s life? In what ways are their lives similar and in what ways are they different?
4. After meeting David Perrin, a journalist, at the afterparty of a play, Margot begins writing to him. What do you think motivates her desire to write to him?
5. Margot’s father’s death is sudden and unexpected. How does this impact the people in his life? Who do you think is most impacted by this tragedy?
6. How does Margot’s understanding of Madame Lapierre change throughout the novel? What moment marks this transition?
7. How does Margot and Brigitte’s relationship develop beyond that of a journalist and subject? What does Margot seek in her friendship with Brigitte? What does Brigitte seek in Margot?
8. What are your thoughts about Margot’s affair with David? In what ways does this brief yet intimate and intense relationship influence Margot?
9. The fragile and potent power of secrets is a returning theme throughout the book. Having been in the shadow of her parents’ secret her whole life, how has this shaped the way in which Margot understands boundaries and relationships?
10. Romance is an essential aspect of one’s coming of age. How do romantic relationships and sexual discovery play a role in Margot’s growth and transition throughout the novel?
11. Put yourself in Margot’s shoes: What would you have done with the secret of your family? Why?
12. Female relationships play a crucial role within this book, especially in Margot’s life. What are the various female relationships she has? Compare and contrast these relationships and the impact of them on her life.
13. What are some ways in which Margot is influenced by her mother? Does she aspire to be like her mother or is she motivated to differentiate herself from her mother?
14. Towards the end of the book Margot receives her birth certificate in which she sees that her father gave her his last name, Lapierre—how does this make Margot feel? In what ways does this change her perception of her identity? Do you think she chooses to take his name (Lapierre), to keep her mother’s (Louve), or to adopt both?
15. Margot and her mother have a tense and at times violent relationship. Would you consider this a factor in why Margot decides to share the story of her family with the world without telling her mother?
16. The revelation of her parents’ affair not only results in Margot’s life shifting from private to public, it also frees Margot from a burden she no longer has to carry. Do you think Margot really feels liberated by the end of the novel? Why or why not?
17. Anouk is a successful stage actress but in her personal life she has remained invisible as the "other" woman. How do you feel about Anouk’s performance at the end of the novel? Did you expect it? Does it change the way you view the rest of the story?
18. What are the different spaces we encounter in the novel, both private and public? How is Margot shaped by those spaces?
19. The characters of this novel often tell each other stories, such as Brigitte’s story about the chef and her daughter, Anouk’s story about being pregnant with Margot and the disappearing girl at the wedding, David’s story about Brigitte’s roommate, Anaïs, and so on. What is the role of storytelling as a form of communication in the novel? How do these stories advance relationships, and what does Margot learn from each story she’s told?
20. Film is another recurring theme in the book, from Margot watching films with her father to Brigitte’s obsession with Trouble Every Day to Juliette’s own attempt at filmmaking. What do you think the author is trying to explore with this theme? What did you make of the stark similarities between Trouble Every Day and Juliette’s film?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)