Child of the Red Land

The tale of a 7 year old girl growing up in war-torn Hanoi and her eventual escape to France, where the freedom to find her own way brings her to a decision which separates her from her family and her previous life for ever. The book is a story of lost innocence and the solace of the imagination. Cecile Drouin's family emigrated to Hanoi where she lived until the age of seven and the novel is highly autobiographical. It is winner of Europe 1's First Novel Prize and is a bestseller in France.