The first novel for adults by Marc-André Dufour-Labbé, The thirst that I have, is a story of survival. That of Boucher, a car salesman and single father of a 1-year-old daughter who tries to stay afloat despite the alcohol that constantly lures him towards the depths.
After publishing a children’s book in 2023, Checked Kid, the author this time immerses us in the precarious daily life of a Sherbrooke resident. He tries to prove to the DPJ his ability to take care of his baby, Flavie, whom he adores. But everything threatens to collapse for Boucher, because he has his “full-time girlfriend and shared custody of alcoholism”.
By binge drinking with his friends in misfortune, this man, losing his bearings, wants to drown his sorrows. He wants to fill the immense void caused by the absence of Véro, Flavie’s mother. Left to his own devices, he is also tormented by the fear of being a bad parent. “Obviously a single parent will never be a model,” he laments.
With language that is both raw and colorful, Marc-André Dufour-Labbé creates a captivating and rhythmic book that addresses single parenthood with a little humor and a lot of sadness. The author, who works in a help center for men in difficulty in Estrie, brings to life characters who manage to remain endearing despite their clumsiness.
Through his bad decisions, Boucher still tries to bring joy to those who need it. But often, this kind-hearted being stumbles in his attempts to repair the poor like himself.
On the one hand, he fights for the dignity of the occupants of a seniors’ residence, but on the other, he sells them drugs. “I take charge of the happiness of neglected old people in order to compensate for the lack of affection from my alcoholic father and my mother missing in action », he explains to his friend Roy.
Change or sink
Throughout the book, the author also skillfully addresses the theme of men entangled in a vision of masculinity that prevents them from evolving. It is this mentality that makes Boucher incapable of feeling Mélanie, the girlfriend of his friend Steve, only because she dares to stand up to him.
Rather than taking care of his own life, the protagonist therefore gives unwise advice to his companion, who is, according to him, “embalmed in a shitty couple”. “I’ll have to dig him up while he’s still alive,” Boucher muses, without worrying about what the main person concerned thinks.
Impulsive and angry, the single father is incapable of “taking a step back” before acting. He also struggles to concentrate on the present moment, as the DPJ social workers would like.
By refusing to face his problems, Boucher will hit a wall. He will then have to choose: “take the straight path or the field”. His future with his little Flavie depends on it.