The summer that my mother had green eyes
The summer that my mother had green eyes -or Vara în care mama a avut ochii verzi, by its original title in Romanian, is the first novel by the Moldovan journalist, presenter, translator and author Tatiana Țîbuleac. The work was published for the first time on July 18, 2016 by the Cartier publishing house. After its release, it won multiple literary awards, such as the Cálamo Prize.
The success that this brought about was so great that, very soon, the novel was taken to the theater in Bucharest. It was also translated into languages such as French and Spanish. The latter was under the responsibility of Marian Ochoa de Eribe. Likewise, it was marketed by the Impedimenta publishing house in 2019. As in its original language, it was very well received in Latin America.
Synopsis of The summer that my mother had green eyes
One of the great discoveries of European literature
The novel follows the life of Aleksy, a painter tormented by a blockage. that has not allowed him to fully exercise his passion. In order to help him destroy that strong subconscious need to hide what drives him crazy, his psychiatrist recommends that he relive the last summer that he was with his mother. The protagonist indicates that too many years have passed since then, but his doctor insists.
In the midst of that moral, ethical and emotional diatribe, Aleksy soon immerses himself in his memory, once again being shaken by the feelings that overwhelmed him at that time. He and his mother had left for a small French town, and, although they were physically together, resentment and rage separated them. They both carried the burden of a terrible memory behind them, and they couldn't leave it behind.
The immense weight of memory
In his remembrance, Aleksy travels to the moment when his sister disappeared, as well as the moment where his mother rejected him. TO Despite his evident apprehension towards the woman who gave him life, in his present, the protagonist is divided between two very powerful disturbances: should he forgive her for everything that happened, or does he keep his resentment while he watches her degenerate little by little?
Yes: Aleksy's mother is being consumed by illness that is close to ending its existence. What should man do then? How should he face this evil without losing himself in the process? Beyond its present sorrow, the story moves towards the past to determine the actions of the future, telling a story that occurred during a distant summer.
the other summer
This novel by Tatiana Țîbuleac proposes the importance of time as an almost material value, one that is capable of changing everything. This is reflected in Aleksy's relationship with his mother. At all times, the author makes it clear what the reasons for the dislike between them are, although in unexpected, subtle, almost poetic ways. However, the hands of the clock are ticking, and death does not wait.
It is then that summer, divided into three perfect months, arrives to forge a necessary reconciliation, where mother and son, finally, feel willing to lay down their weapons before the arrival of the inevitable. Although Aleksy acts with full awareness that if he does not forgive his mother now he will not have another chance, also He does it to redeem himself.
An intimate reflection on mother-child relationships
Tatiana Țîbuleac, through the eyes and experiences of her protagonist, creates one of the most furious stories that have been written around the figure of the mother in recent years. Throughout the ages, the matriarch archetype has been one of the most mystical, as a kind of deity to whom everything is owed, and who must be worshiped completely, no matter what happens.
This belief fills both the mother and the children with a heavy burden that is very difficult to defer. Therefore, when it appears a novel where the protagonist longs for the death of his mother, Coming to hate her with such vehemence, it is impossible not to be scandalized: human beings have so exalted the sacrosanct maternal figure that, in most cases, they believe her to be incorruptible. But it's not like that.
All mothers deserve space to be imperfect
Roughly, The only truth is that no matriarch is pristine, no one is. This should be evident to the entire world, although many do not wish to accept it. Women who give birth and raise their children are beings of flesh and blood, they have virtues and weaknesses, just like the rest, and can be cruel and kind, conformist and disruptive, selfish and generous, among other epithets.
With this in mind, Tatiana Țîbuleac presents two main characters who engage in constant fights, where it is possible to distinguish the unwanted child from the terrible mother. However, as the pages turn, these total personalities blur to give way to a pair of human beings abused by time, love, pride and death.
About the author
Tatiana Țîbuleac was born on October 15, 1978, in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. She is the daughter of a journalist and an editor, so she grew up surrounded by books and news. Therefore, it is not strange that, from a very young age, she was interested in reading and writing. So, He studied Journalism and Communications at the state university of his country, where he began to collaborate with various media.
During that period she worked as a translator, proofreader and reporter. Later, she participated in the newspaper FLUX, which enjoyed great circulation in Moldova. Shortly after, He started his own column, titled “Povești adevărate,” or, in Spanish, “True Stories.” She also worked as a presenter for the television channel Pro TV Chisinau.
In 2007, he decided to leave journalism behind to move to Paris. According to her, the change was very good for her, since the French city offered her the opportunity to write that she had dreamed of so much. Even so, It was in his country of origin where he published his first book, a selection of stories inspired by the complications of immigration, where he encourages those who left their home.
Other books by Tatiana Țîbuleac
- Fabule Moderne — Modern fables (2017);
- Grădina de sticlă — The glass garden (2019)