The Childhood of Jesus
by J. M. Coetzeeliterary work· published 2013
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After crossing oceans, a man and a boy arrive in a new land. Here they are each assigned a name and an age, and held in a camp in the desert while they learn Spanish, the language of their new country. As Simon and David they make their way to the relocation centre in the city of Novilla, where officialdom treats them politely but not necessarily helpfully. Simon finds a job in a grain wharf. The work is unfamiliar and backbreaking, but he soon warms to his stevedore comrades, who during breaks conduct philosophical dialogues on the dignity of labour, and generally take him to their hearts. Now he must set about his task of locating the boy's mother.
Adaptations (1)
The Childhood of Jesus was adapted into a 2026 film.
Aquí2026 · film · 203 min · dir. Tiago Guedes · IMDb ↗IMDb8.1In a new land where everyone receives a new name and begins again without a past, Simón takes responsibility for David, a child he met on the crossing to a new life. Driven by an inexplicable conviction, he sets out to find the boy’s mother despite the fact David remembers nothing about her. When he recognizes Inés as the right woman, she accepts the role and an unlikely bond forms between them. While society imposes rules and treats difference as a threat, David resists being shaped and stands for imagination and freedom.
