The Madeleine Project
The Madeleine Project by Clara Beaudoux, published by New Vessel Press in 2017, is a unique exploration of personal history and memory. This 285-page work combines elements of biography and graphic novel, as the author documents her discoveries in a Paris apartment filled with the belongings of a woman named Madeleine, who lived into her nineties. Through a blend of text and photographs shared on Twitter, Beaudoux brings to life the story of an unsung figure, revealing the connections between her life and the broader tapestry of European history.
Readers will find a narrative that intertwines personal curiosity with a journalistic approach, as Beaudoux uncovers the intimate memories and treasures of Madeleine’s life. The book delves into themes of biography, history, and the significance of everyday objects, offering insights into a bygone era while reflecting on contemporary life. The Madeleine Project serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving personal stories and the impact of memory in our understanding of the past.
Official synopsis Publisher
“This extraordinary little book touched me deeply. Part graphic novel, part literary archeology, the author slowly unpacks a dusty cellar, and brings her subject to life. Even Madeleine’s recipes have risen. Who would have guessed Twitter could be so poetic.”
—Elizabeth Bard, author of Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes and Picnic in Provence
A young woman moves into a Paris apartment and discovers a storage room filled with the belongings of the previous owner, a certain Madeleine who died in her late nineties, and whose treasured possessions nobody seems to want. In an audacious act of journalism driven by personal curiosity and humane tenderness, Clara Beaudoux embarks on The Madeleine Project, documenting what she finds on Twitter with text and photographs, introducing the world to an unsung twentieth-century figure. Along the way, she uncovers a Parisian life indelibly marked by European history. This is a graphic novel for the Twitter age, a true story that encapsulates one woman’s attempt to live a life of love and meaning together with a contemporary quest to prevent that existence from slipping into oblivion. Through it all, The Madeleine Project movingly chronicles, and allows us to reconstruct, intimate memories of a bygone era.
Clara Beaudoux is a Paris-based journalist for the France Info news network. The Madeleine Project has been wildly popular in France. You can follow her on Twitter at @Clarabdx.
Reading group guide to The Madeleine Project, as well as a related recipe booklet, is available free of charge at newvesselpress.com.
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “The Madeleine Project” about?
Who is the author of “The Madeleine Project”?
When was “The Madeleine Project” published?
What is the ISBN for “The Madeleine Project”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
