With a sharp and observational eye, Annelies Verbeke takes a funny, imaginative and perceptive look at the realities and absurdities of human interactions, relationships and everyday life. Verbeke matches poetic prose with a cast of intriguing characters and unexpected plot twists. Our protagonist is Alphonse, a Senegalese immigrant who uproots his life in Brussels to become a handyman in a rural district in Flanders. Likeable and charismatic, people cannot help but reveal their secrets, desires and unexpected dreams to him. In her typically astute style, Verbeke weaves a vivid and thought-provoking tale of contemporary life, subtly touching upon timely themes such as refugees and racism. Thirty Days is a deeply moving story about love, outsiders and the human need to connect, compellingly translated from the Dutch by Liz Waters.
"Thirty Days is a novel about goodness and compassion. The book finds the perfect balance between sensitivity and humour, hopefulness and criticism, cheer and despair."
Flanders Literature
"Thirty Days is a slice of life so compelling and warm that I stayed up far too late to finish it."
Kate MacDonald
"This wry Belgian writer takes a sharp, very human look at how lives meander and collide. . . For all the serious issues it explores, it is also very funny and astute. It is not only a European book, it is a fearless exposé of the world we live in and how we live. . . Unhappy marriages, deceptions, violent crime and, above all, the human need to connect at some or any level, intrigue Verbeke . . .
