THE HANGING SAW
When Lilly returns to her mountain village from sports camp, she has fallen silent. Everyone is at a loss, and she is sent to Belgium as an au pair. “When you arrive, say ‘Bonjour Madame’,” her father tells her at the train station. In the children’s home run by nuns, she meets African girls whom she rubs with Nivea cream, and Francine, who listens to Radio Kinshasa at night. Francine not only knows who has robbed the Congo of its wealth, but also that some days are best written into the palm of your hand. As Lilly gradually rediscovers her voice in French, she begins to understand what the sports teacher did to her.
The Hanging Saw tells the story of a traumatic experience in a girl’s life and the self-assertion of a young woman who is just as uninterested in marriage as she is in a position as a primary school teacher in her home village. Distinct and fresh in tone, the novel also impresses with the atmospheric presence of a bizarre alpine world. Strong, beautiful images reveal the filmmaker Alice Schmid’s signature throughout.
Awards
The Hanging Saw tells the story of a traumatic experience in a girl’s life and the self-assertion of a young woman who is just as uninterested in marriage as she is in a position as a primary school teacher in her home village. Distinct and fresh in tone, the novel also impresses with the atmospheric presence of a bizarre alpine world. Strong, beautiful images reveal the filmmaker Alice Schmid’s signature throughout.
Awards
- Alice Schmid was awarded the Central Swiss Literature Prize for an excerpt from the manuscript.