Saba Ahmed

The plight of the migrant: Crossed Lines, by Marie Darrieussecq, reviewed

A middle-aged Parisian psychologist and a young refugee from Niger discover a curious affinity when they meet in desperate circumstances

Marie Darrieussecq, 2017. Credit: Getty Images

‘We should be living in a brave country and on a brave planet that bravely distributes its occupants,’ thinks Rose Goyenetche, a middle-class, middle-aged Parisian child psychologist and the heroine of Marie Darrieussecq’s Crossed Lines.

As their hands touch, Rose feels a familiar electric ping, and their futures become linked

The story unfolds on a Mediterranean cruise ship, where Rose is holidaying in a deluxe cabin (‘that is, economy class’) on an all-inclusive-without-alcohol-without-wifi package sponsored by her mother as a chance for Rose to get some perspective on her life.

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