Pierre Laflamme
ROMANS & novels
Reviews & opinions
God's forgotten ones
Finally! A novel that explains to us all these migrant movements, their living conditions, and all the dangers they face. These men and women are truly courageous. Such accuracy of tone and precision, I felt like I was sitting beside them in the pickup truck and the boat. Congratulations on this novel.
Évelyne Dumas 15/01/2022
"Moving and impactful words" -
Literary World,
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I really enjoyed "God's forgotten ones". I am not very familiar with the current events of Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan, as well as the issue of displaced people, but I found the subject extensively documented, the characters endearing, and the story "engaging".
Pierre-Yves Maurice 27/10/2021
"A unique literary style" -
Literary Blog
Every evening before going to sleep, I am Yusef, Khaled, and Hanna on their journey. All the details immerse us in the action as if it were on the cinema screen. I believe it would make a great movie. Thank you!
Luc Meilleur 12/06/2021
"A captivating pen" -
Literary Review
Read in just 4 days. What a beautiful pen, you're truly brilliant, I wish the story hadn't ended.
Sylvie Péloquin 15th August
All these details, all these descriptions of Asmara and Khartoum, the architecture, the mosques, the markets, the local customs, the Sweet Caffe and the Samakna, which really exist on real streets, make it feel like we are there, it's so precise. So congratulations...
Serge Rodier 15/07/2021
Reviews and opinions
The blood of stones
ISLAM, JIHAD, AND THE WHOLE BATACLAN
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by MARION TRANSETTI
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Pierre Laflamme's book, "Le sang des cailloux," is a must-read for everyone. Powered by efficient writing and an engaging structure, this book provides, with impartiality, answers to the many questions raised by Islamism, which all too often becomes synonymous with terrorism.
Grounded in a phenomenal research effort, this book is a guide that enables the discovery and better understanding of peoples whose beliefs and traditions are shaken, causing cruel ruptures for their members. Without ever becoming moralistic, the author ultimately reminds us that the essential, at all times and in all circumstances, is to have a vigilant mind. Thus, our capacity for judgment and analysis remains intact, limiting harmful indoctrination and destructive passions.
A read whose recent relevance reminds us of its urgency. This book is primarily based on deep reflection, on the description of very specific human phenomena. A great sensitivity emanates from the text and makes this book an essential tool for every citizen of the contemporary world. In the present, this book can help us understand each other better; in the future, it will be a witness of an era. In my humble opinion, it's a genuine work of literature and not just entertainment, as the thriller genre might suggest.
AURÉLIE ROY "LIFE IN QUÉBEC MAGAZINE"
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A TOUCHING STORY
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"The Blood of Stones," the second novel by Montreal writer Pierre Laflamme, evokes the influence of Islam on contemporary life. Through a writing approach that reflects meticulous research on the subject, Laflamme creates a highly evocative novel in which he highlights the influences that can lead some young people to join the jihadist movement. The novel unfolds over 7 years, with action taking place on several continents, from Cairo to Montreal and from Barcelona to Tel Aviv. Despite dealing with serious subjects such as terrorism, religion, and death, "The Blood of Stones" is first and foremost a love story featuring an impressionable young man, Faysal, and his feminist lover Fadilah. Initially, Faysal is under the influence of a self-proclaimed imam who tries to lead him down a self-destructive path. However, when he meets the independent Fadilah and falls in love with her, he chooses a version of his religion that is compatible with the life of a modern man. In this novel, Laflamme demonstrates his extensive knowledge of Islamic culture while telling a poignant story that shows how love should prevail over radical ideology.
MICHEL ROBERGE AUTHOR LITERARY BLOG "THRILLERS & NOIR NOVELS"
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AN UNPREDICTABLE THRILLER
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"The Blood of Stones" is the second novel by Pierre Laflamme, a Quebecois author passionate about the Middle East. Initially, the subject of this fiction inspired by real events didn't excite me. The somewhat unsettling cover didn't help either. But, from the first chapters, I couldn't put down this intricately constructed intrigue. The author has a deep understanding of Egyptian society and unveils it through the unfolding events. Radical Salafists, economic corruption, arms trafficking, jihadist recruitment, and terrorist attacks, all set against the backdrop of the Egyptian revolution. The reader is quickly drawn into a narrative that relies on impressive research by the author. It portrays a young Egyptian who, despite the good teachings of his parents, is led astray by a follower of a certain interpretation of the Quran, down a path of violence and the elimination of infidels. "The Blood of Stones" is both a thriller with an unpredictable ending... and a redemptive love story that contributes to a better understanding of Islamic environments and the pervasive influence of religion on family, political dealings, and communities sometimes grappling with contradictions of thought and action. With an unflinching style, rigorous writing, attention to detail in descriptions and dialogues, Pierre Laflamme illustrates the complexity of a problem that extends globally: the clash of values and beliefs. Moreover, by linking recent events in Barcelona (the Ramblas attack) with a group of scheming Canadians, the author situates his fiction in a very contemporary reality. A read you won't regret, and one that will certainly fuel your thoughts on such a comprehensive subject. What I liked: The realism of the narrative through the choice and psychology of the characters, the quality of the dialogues, and the numerous descriptions that vividly portray the story in well-defined times and places.
JEAN PAUL ROBERT AUTHOR
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This novel weaves its web at the heart of the world's torn events: the attacks in Barcelona, the war in Syria, the Arab Spring, and protests in Cairo. In a fluid and enjoyable style, the author skillfully intertwines international influence trafficking, arms trafficking leading to it, and a case of radicalization hindered by a budding love. All amidst a society deeply affected by still oppressive traditions, extreme religious tensions, and multiple frustrations. The complexity of the theme doesn't weigh down the ease of reading. The situations and the characters' mindsets are described with a lot of realism. The author has also done thorough research on the places he describes, especially Cairo (which he visited) and the religious foundations leading to the extremes he depicts. A fine work, perhaps difficult to find in France (except for downloading), which is regrettable. (Now available everywhere in print version Via Amazon)
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ELLEN VAILLANCOURT AUTHOR
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A current affairs book on "Islam" that I was afraid to read! Afraid of atrocities, that the author, Pierre Laflamme, would succumb to hate, but also of falling into a predictable story! But no! I come out of it grown with my faith in humanity intact and even with hope! You'll read a love story between two young people, but also the fine line between Islam of love, of compassion, and pure fanaticism. Mixed with all of this, corrupt governments, associations with too much influence, and you have here A THRILLER THAT WILL KEEP YOU TURNING THE PAGES! An exciting story that at times is difficult to read because it shook my inner self, but it also reflects and explains the sad reality. There is evidently a lot of research behind this book; my inner self would have preferred something more romantic... to avoid seeing reality... A FASCINATING READ!
Reviews and opinions
The light and the ashes
I've finished reading THE LIGHT AND THE ASHES, the second volume of the diptych THE BLOOD OF THE STONES, and I found it really well crafted.
I especially enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd parts, when the action takes more prominence and we start to understand the connections that are beginning to define themselves. It's amazing the amount of research in this work.
Hats off. ​
Amélie Boucher 29/04/2024
French release April 2024
English release Fall 2024
The blood of stones
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Fadilah, a young woman of great beauty, is passionate about freedom, equality, and an "enlightened Islam." Studying Egyptology in Cairo, she secretly loves Faysal, a boy molded to become a jihadist. Fadilah is unafraid of the gaze of men: "If you want honey, you must endure the sting of bees." Pushed by Salîm Al Misrî, a self-proclaimed imam, a fanatic for Allah, Faysal joins the Salâh Ad-dîn brigade, which advocates for the application of Sharia law and the return of the great caliphate. Meanwhile, Abu Hamza, Faysal's father and Moubarak's Minister of Petroleum, grants Preston Colby, CEO of MARGI, a Quebec engineering company, significant contracts for the development of Egyptian oil fields... on one condition. Events escalate; a tourist bus explodes in Barcelona. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Israeli Mossad spring into action, just as Egyptians on Tahrir Square in Cairo are on the verge of repudiating President Moubarak's dictatorship. Between Cairo and Montreal, between Barcelona and Tel Aviv, men and women navigate trajectories on a collision course.
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Spring 2013, the Egyptian people, dissatisfied with the outcomes of the 2011 revolution, return to Tahrir Square and rise up against President Morsi, seeking to overthrow him. After her studies, Fadilah and her professor Aïcha remained friends. But why has Aïcha never married? Who is Aïcha truly? Why does Fadilah believe that the terrorist brigade Salâh Ad-Dîn, supported by Iran, poses a threat to the Temple Mount/the Esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem? From Cairo to Tel Aviv, from Amman to Tehran, a race begins to prevent the Middle East from igniting.
The light and the ashes
