Romain Gary's "The Promise of Dawn": An Ode to Maternal Love

Romain Gary was born in Vilnius (Lithuania) in 1914 and died in Paris in 1980. He is the only writer to have won the prestigious Prix Goncourt twice, once under his real name for Les Racines du ciel and again under the pseudonym Émile Ajar for La Vie devant soi. In addition to his literary career, he was a diplomat, an aviator during the Second World War and a film director. The Promise of Dawn, published in 1960, is one of his most personal and moving works, telling the story of his youth and his relationship with his mother.

The Promise of Dawn is above all the story of a mad love, that of a mother for her son. In this autobiographical novel, Gary recounts his youth, marked by the unfailing love of his mother, Nina Borisvoskaia. This extraordinary woman, an artist and the daughter of a watchmaker, brought up her son alone between the wars, travelling through Lithuania, Poland and France. Despite often difficult material conditions, she showed remarkable energy and inventiveness to ensure a bright future for Romain.

Nina Borisvoskaia is a central figure in the novel, described by Gary with overwhelming affection. Married, divorced, remarried and divorced again, she left her family at the age of 16 to follow her own path. Excessive, loving and strong, she devoted herself entirely to her son, sometimes in excessive and mythical ways. This maternal love forged much of the author's identity and stayed with her throughout her life.

Reading this novel gave me an avalanche of emotions. There is a deep humanity and human warmth on every page. This book is a real lesson in life and love, an ode to the exceptional relationship he shared with his mother.

It is a book that I closed with regret, but whose imprint will remain with me for a long time. I have read The Life Before us several times, it is one of my favourite books. Now I'm really looking forward to The Roots of Heaven which promises to be just as captivating. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have read any of these works or if you would like to share your impressions of The Promise of Dawn.