Petite Terre, Vaste Rêve is renowned Egyptian born author Andrée Chedid’s sublime new collection of short stories. The book begins with “Petite Terre” (Small World), a meditation reflecting on the cramped nature of our planet faced with the great vastness of the universe. It ends, conversely, with “Vaste rêve” (Vast Dream), a look at the imagination in its inexhaustible fertility. Journeying from microcosm to macrocosm, we meet some unique characters along the way, from a theater prompter to an adulterous wife; Vincent van Gogh to Sam, a circus clown. Each serves to mirror society and each, one way or another, ends up breaking with convention. This, Chedid reveals, leads to renewal, not only for themselves but for the earth at large. Transcendently beautiful, this work is a celebration of life.