Jacky

"My father disappeared over the span of three video game consoles." In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Anthony and his twin brother grow up surrounded by a close-knit paternal family in an isolated valley inland from Nice. Amidst affectionate grandparents, a cousin suffering from a mysterious illness, and a young, energetic uncle, they stave off boredom with video games—a new passion passed down by their father, Jacky. From *Space Invaders* to *Zelda*, from Nintendo to Sega, the narrator and his brother’s awareness of the world around them sharpens alongside the technical capabilities of these strange machines. Gradually, gaming becomes a refuge from the pressures weighing upon them, the tedium of a humdrum daily existence, and the tragedies soon to befall their loved ones—right up until their father’s sudden departure. Anthony Passeron immerses the reader in a bygone era: the carefree spirit of the late 20th century, with its promise of prosperity and technological innovation. Blending his personal story with the history of video game pioneers, he sends a heartfelt message of love to his father, despite the incurable wound of abandonment.