Release date is 2024-07-13

Laurent Vogel (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica)

"Le Poison de Goa" by Maurice Magre is a novel written in the late 1920s. The story primarily follows Rachel, a young Jewish woman navigating the dangers and societal constraints of Bombay, torn between her past in Goa and her uncertain future. The narrative explores themes of identity, persecution, and the desperation that can arise from poverty and societal rejection. At the start of the novel, Rachel wanders through the bustling streets of Bombay, plagued by feelings of isolation and the burden of her heritage. She contemplates her situation as she navigates past bustling bazaars and encounters various characters in the city. Despite her efforts to escape her past and find purpose, she finds herself drawn toward a notorious house of an entremetteuse named Antonia, where she is caught up in a web of intrigue and danger. The opening sets the stage for Rachel's internal struggles and the external threats that loom as she faces a choice that could alter her fate forever. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Paris: Albin Michel, 1928