The Godmother
A Crime Novel
by Hannelore Cayre, translated by Stephanie Smee
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Pub Date 3 Sep 2019 | Archive Date 14 Aug 2019
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Description
Inspiration for the major motion picture Mama Weed; translated from the international bestseller La Daronne, winner of the European Crime Fiction Prize and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, France’s most prestigious prize for crime fiction.
Meet Patience Portefeux, a fifty-three-year-old, underpaid Franco-Arab interpreter for the Ministry of Justice who specializes in phone tapping. Widowed after the sudden death of her husband, Patience is now wedged between university fees for her grown-up daughters and nursing home costs for her aging mother.
Happening upon an especially revealing set of police wiretaps ahead of all other authorities, Patience makes a life-altering decision that sees her intervening in — and infiltrating — the machinations of a massive drug deal. She thus embarks on an entirely new career path: Patience becomes The Godmother.
This is not the French idyll of postcards and stock photos. With a gallery of traffickers, dealers, police officers, and politicians, The Godmother casts its sharp and amusing gaze on everyday survival in contemporary France. With an unforgettable woman at its center, Hannelore Cayre’s bestselling novel reveals a European criminal underground that has rarely been seen.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781770415430 |
| PRICE | |
Featured Reviews
Heather B, Reviewer
The Godmother is a unique fascinating story. It is well written and well developed characters. I would read more by this author.
Melissa B, Reviewer
A fast paced read, that’s sure to be funny on the big screen. The premise of the story is broke, underpaid daughter taking care of Alzheimer’s ridden mother finds a way into drug dealing.
Sherry C, Reviewer
The Godmother takes you to a France that most Americans don't see depicted in books or movies: far from glamorous, not especially chic, no lingering in sidewalk cafés. Yet it couldn't be anything but French, from the thoughtful pacing to the willingness to have the narrator—a middle-aged, financially strapped woman—not only be unlikable but to also acknowledge that unlikability. There's not a single wasted word, and every scene is almost cinematically visual. If this review seems vague, that's because The Godmother is kind of difficult to describe; in tone it reminds me a bit of the Thomas Ripley novels, though the narrator is no soulless sociopath. I think you have to—and should—experience it for yourself (especially before seeing the upcoming French movie or the inevitable Americanized-for-the-worse remake).
Thank you, NetGalley and ECW Press, for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer 472824
This was a very well written fast paced read - both exciting and witty. I found Patience so interesting, so likable (although she would disagree) and just so “French”. I could not put this book down. While the book is called “The Godmother”, that is only a part of her life. The book tells us about her childhood, her marriage and subsequent early widowhood when she is left with two young children. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved Patience. She had me chuckling a few times. Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Monica B, Librarian
I always wanted to go to Paris and books that take place in Paris always catch my attention and with a strong female lead. This is one such book. While it was a little slow, I keep reading and I was not disappointed. Patience, I loved her humor and I loved that the author made her seem real and someone I could relate to. I enjoyed how she transform from a widowed mom of two to "The Godmother," a strong merciless business woman. It was a good read that I would recommend.
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