A gripping and sensitive novel that addresses the question of pregnancy denial from a unique angle.

As they are struggling for their own survival, nothing escapes the notice of the farm animals. The farmer’s financial worries as bills mount up, his sons’ fighting as they grow up, his wife’s footsteps, which have grown heavier than usual… The cow, the dog and the cat stand guard in a world whose tempo is set by life and death. Their silent round never misses a beat. But a tragedy is taking place on this farm, and not one human has noticed a thing. Because people are blind, the animals will bear witness.

Agnès de Clairville endeavors to upend our gaze in this open-air huis clos, in which dumb beasts’ communication intertwines with humans’ secrets. What can animals’ have to tell us about our relationship to birth and filiation? In this book, animality is in charge and words jostle around for unexpected results.