What's in a name?Visit Madeleine Dunnigan's website.
I knew Jean’s name early on. Jean’s mother is a German Jewish refugee and a francophile. I knew Jean’s name needed to be French because of this; I also knew it needed to complicate his identity as an English teenage boy.
In French, ‘Jean’ is a boy’s name; in English, we would use ‘Gene’ for a boy and ‘Jean’ for a girl. This subtle difference, although not pressed upon in the novel, was essential to the crafting of his character. From birth, he feels like an outsider. To others, there is something mysterious and...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: Jean.
The Page 69 Test: Jean.
Writers Read: Madeleine Dunnigan.
Q&A with Madeleine Dunnigan.
--Marshal Zeringue
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