The Road to Nowhere. The Mystery of the Frontenac Family

The novel «The Road to Nowhere» tells the dramatic fate of a family of the «old aristocracy», whose head squandered all the family fortune on mistresses, went bankrupt, and committed suicide, leaving his wife and children in poverty. Who will break under the weight of poverty and shame? Who, gritting their teeth, will endure hard times to become a shrewd and cynical businessman? And who will find the strength to try to forge another, their own path in life? «The Mystery of the Frontenac Family» is the softest and most lyrical novel by Mauriac, in which literary scholars find autobiographical motifs. It is a very unusual family story for France in the early 20th century. In the family, the principles of mutual love, understanding, and respect prevail. It is from this family that a talented young writer emerges, confident in his calling. Life will not always be kind to him, but the family values instilled in childhood will help him cope with the difficulties, disappointments, and failures of adult life.