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Happening
Happening
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This is the story, written forty years later, of a trauma Ernaux never overcame. In a France where abortion was illegal, she attempted, in vain, to self-administer the abortion with a knitting needle. Fearful and desperate, she finally located an abortionist, and ends up in a hospital emergency ward where she nearly dies.
In Happening, Ernaux sifts through her memories and her journal entries dating from those days. Clearly, cleanly, she gleans the meanings of her experience.
Now an award-winning film by Audrey Diwan
Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival
Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival
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A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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One Line Summary
Raw account of a woman's illegal abortion ordeal.
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Who is this book for?
Happening offers a deeply personal and courageous look into a woman's harrowing experience with illegal abortion. Annie Ernaux's reflective narrative pulls you into her emotional journey, making it a powerful read about resilience, societal pressures, and human rights. If you're interested in honest, evocative memoirs that highlight important social issues, this book will resonate long after you finish.