Colombe Schneck's Autofictional Novel Explores Childhood Memories and Deception in Swiss Alps

Parisian journalist and writer Colombe Schneck has published an autofictional research novel titled 'Lügen im Paradies' (Lies in Paradise) through Rowohlt Verlag. The work examines her childhood experiences at a rustic chalet in the Swiss Alps above Montreux, where she spent holidays with her Jewish parents. Schneck describes the chalet as the oldest in the valley, pictorially integrated into the landscape near Rochers de Naye. She spent specific periods there: two weeks at Christmas, one week in February, two weeks in April, and the entire month of July. The chalet belonged to her host parents Karl and Anne-Marie Ammann, both now deceased. Schneck returns to the location decades later, following the deaths of her parents and her divorce from an alcoholic husband. She reflects on the chalet as a refuge that felt like home, though it was not her own, noting that the comforting memory contrasts with the novel's darker themes. The story involves children from Europe, Africa, and America who were present at the mountain location. Schneck acknowledges her preference for positive narratives but indicates this story does not conclude happily, aligning with the book's title about deception in paradise.