The shame

June 1952, Annie is 12 years old. One Sunday afternoon, she witnesses her father attempting to kill her mother. After a short time, the father calms down, and Annie suppresses the incident. It isn't until nearly half a century later that she comes across an old photograph that triggers a flood of memories. The deeper Annie Ernaux delves into that pivotal year, the clearer the tension becomes that her parents lived in, caught between the desire for social advancement and the humiliating relapse into their old circumstances. In "The Shame," she dissects this persistent feeling of unworthiness.

Unabridged reading with Corinna Kirchhoff. 2 CDs | approx. 2 hours 33 minutes.