How far would you go to follow your dreams? One man's obsession with a mythical dinosaur fossil takes him and his team to the very edge of the world, and of life itself.
Up there, the only monsters are the ones you take with you.'
1954. Stan, a middle-aged palaeontologist living in Paris, hears a story about a 'dragon', a fossilized dinosaur whose discovery could change his life. Yet this fossil, if it truly exists, lies somewhere within a glacier, deep in treacherous mountain territory on the Italian border. And he cannot attempt to find it alone.
Joined by loyal friend Umberto with his young assistant, Peter, and expert mountain guide Gio, the team set off in pursuit of a legend. Time is short; they must complete the expedition before the weather turns. But what is really driving Stan? And just how far is he prepared to go?
Acclaimed screenwriter and author Jean-Baptiste Andrea tells a gripping and cinematic tale of dreams, obsessions, and the poignant friendship forged between a group of men pushed to their limits.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIX JOSEPH KESSEL 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GRAND PRIX DE L'ACADÉMIE FRANÇAISE 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GRAND PRIX DES BLOGUEURS LITTÉRAIRES 2019
‘Unforgettable’ Mail on Sunday
‘Powerful’ Sunday Times
'Spare, elegant and poetic, this slender novel is quietly devastating' Daily Mail
'Breathless and heartbreaking . . . Tracing a treasure that waits just out of reach, A Hundred Million Years and a Day speaks to the adventurers within us all’ Foreword Reviews
‘Using beautiful imagery and poetic language, Andrea takes us to the mountains for an adventure that is as cruel as it is magical’ Le Figaro
‘Gripping and poetic, it keeps you hooked until the final page’ La Croix
‘Under Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s skilled penmanship, the alpine adventure novel becomes a moving tale of personal discovery, and the fossil, a brilliant metaphor for the search for perfection’ Le Nouveau Magazine Littéraire
‘The author’s voice has the imagination to move mountains, but shows an awareness that the journey means more than the destination. We’re with the narrator every step of the way, admiring his determination to fulfil his dream’ Libération
‘Go and buy it now. . . Andrea’s beautiful words are both heartrending and comforting’ Télématin
‘The poetry of the language and intensity of feeling give nature an intoxicating splendour’ Le Matricule des Anges
‘A sublime and beautiful book’ Carys Davies
‘Every line is golden. It’s impossible to describe it without selling it short. It is a small, perfect thing, beautiful and devastating’ Sara Taylor
Praise for Ma Reine:
Winner of 12 literary awards, including the Prix du Premier Roman and Prix Femina des Lycéens.
'A powerful, magnetic novel' Lire
'A book of great charm. Poetic, otherworldly and original' Telerama
‘A poetic, dreamlike little gem’ Le Figaro littéraire
