The Kites

The Kites by Romain Gary, translated from the French by Miranda Richmond Mouillot. This 2017 New Directions hardcover is the first New Directions and first English-language edition, with a complete number line identifying the first printing. The original French novel, Les cerfs-volants, was published in 1980.

Gary’s final novel follows Ludo, an orphan raised in Normandy by his eccentric kite-making uncle, and his enduring love for Lila, the daughter of an aristocratic Polish family. As Europe descends into World War II, their story becomes entwined with occupation and resistance, exploring love, memory, moral courage, hope, and the complicated forms resistance can take.

Romain Gary was a wartime aviator, diplomat, filmmaker, and celebrated French novelist. He remains especially notable as the only writer to receive the Prix Goncourt twice under two different names. This long-awaited English translation brought one of his major late works to a wider readership.

Hardcover and dust jacket are in Very Good condition as graded by the seller. The jacket shows light edge and corner wear with minor creasing visible in the photographs and is now protected in a removable clear plastic cover. The photographed copyright page is clean and legible.