A compact but kaleidoscopic fable of Venezuela from a stunning new voice in the magical realism tradition. "His body might have been hewn from a tree trunk; his heart would last for a hundred years. And, like a tree, he was one of those men who die standing up." A chance meeting in the local pharmacy transforms the life of lonely, illiterate Octavio. He begins reading lessons and finds love and happiness for the very first time. But Octavio's destiny lies elsewhere, as he will discover on a journey into the Venezuelan rainforest. Shortlisted for the Goncourt first novel award, this short but epic fable is both a hymn to Venezuela and the magical story of an extraordinary hero. AUTHOR: Miguel Bonnefoy was born in France in 1986 to a Venezuelan mother and a Chilean father. In 2013, he was awarded the prestigious Prix du Jeune Ecrivain. Octavio's Journey is his first novel, written in French. SELLING POINTS: "A wonderful debut" Liberation "Simply magical" Elle "A masterfully composed poetic and picaresque fable" Le Figaro
