Watching Over Her Explained

Watching Over Her
Author:Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Title Orig:Veiller sur elle
Orig Lang Code:fr
Translator:Frank Wynne
Language:French
Publisher:L'Iconoclaste
Pub Date:17 August 2023
Pub Place:Paris
English Pub Date:July 2025
Pages:584
Awards:Prix Goncourt (2023)
Isbn:978-2-378-80375-9

Watching Over Her (French: Veiller sur elle) is a 2023 novel by French author Jean-Baptiste Andrea. It was published on 17 August 2023 by the French independent publisher L'Iconoclaste.[1] It received the Prix Goncourt on 7 November 2023.[2] It has sold over 700,000 copies, making it one of the best-selling Goncourt winners. Watching Over Her was also recipient of the Prix du roman Fnac and the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle.[3]

The book has been translated into 34 different languages. The English translation by Frank Wynne is set to be published by Atlantic Books in July 2025.[4]

Synopsis

Spanning several decades in 20th-century Italy, the novel focuses on a poor sculptor named Michelangelo "Mimo" Vitaliani, and his romance with Viola Orsini, the daughter of an aristocratic family.

Film adaptation

In June 2024, it was announced that former Pathé executives Muriel Sauzay and François Ivernel secured the screen rights to the novel for an adaptation produced by their company Montebello.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 31 August 2023 . Jean-Baptiste Andrea, lauréat du prix du roman Fnac pour "Veiller sur elle" . 5 November 2024 . Franceinfo . fr-FR.
  2. News: Breeden . Aurelien . 7 November 2023 . Jean-Baptiste Andrea Wins Goncourt Prize With Sprawling Novel . 5 November 2024 . The New York Times.
  3. Web site: Keslassy . Elsa . 20 June 2024 . Goncourt Prizewinning Novel 'Watching Over Her' Set for Screen Adaptation by Former Pathe Executives (EXCLUSIVE) . 5 November 2024 . Variety . en-US.
  4. Web site: Atlantic acquires Jean-Baptiste Andrea's Prix Goncourt-winning Watching Over Her . 5 November 2024 . The Bookseller . En.