Vie et mort d’un berger Récit historique

Émile lived throughout the twentieth century. His recollections have been gathered by his nephew and two friends. The rhythm of this story, the orality, patois, and scholarly language illustrate the morals of Émile, who proclaimed that “la vie est ainsi faite” (“that’s just how life is”) and speaks on behalf of a peasantry that was for centuries the pillar of the French people.