Quand nous étions orphelins

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When 9-year-old Christopher Banks's father, a British businessman in the opium trade, vanishes from their Shanghai home, he and his friend Akira play at being detectives. Their imaginative adventures culminate in a grand ceremony in Jessfield Park, where they envision themselves as heroes. However, when Christopher's mother also disappears, he is sent to England, growing up between the world wars and claiming to be a famous detective. The haunting memories of his family's fate linger, prompting him to return to Shanghai in the late 1930s to solve the most crucial case of his life. As he investigates, the lines between reality and fantasy blur. Is the Japanese soldier he encounters truly Akira? Are his parents imprisoned in a Chinese district? And who is Mr. Grayson, the British official planning a significant celebration? Ishiguro employs crime fiction conventions to depict a troubled mind grappling with childhood trauma. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, who deduces from tangible clues, Christopher relies on fading memories, making the truth elusive. The first-person narrative reveals cracks in Christopher's perspective, compelling readers to become detectives themselves, piecing together his fragmented recollections. Ishiguro's controlled prose enhances the emotional depth of this haunting novel, showcasing Christopher Banks as one of his most memorable characters.