Impala

Virginia Gillham is university librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Originally published in French in 1994, and translated into English in
1997, this brief but riveting novel is written from the perspective of a
child of violence and dysfunction, who is eventually and inevitably
driven to horrifying violence. The novel follows the attempts of the
adult daughter of a gangster to piece together the details of her roots
and the relationship between her parents, neither of whom she really
knew. She uncovers a marriage that began as a love story but degenerated
into disillusionment and tragedy. As the details unfold, the
daughter’s emotions follow a similar path. Unlike her mother, however,
she chooses revenge, and in doing so, gives the novel its final,
unexpected twist. This outstanding work is best consumed at a single
sitting.