Elise and the New Partisans

In May 1968, France exploded. Leftist student groups occupied the streets of Paris, riot police clashed with protesters, and a general strike spread across France like wildfire, threatening to grind government and industry to a halt. And at the heart of it all – Elise.

Ten years earlier, Elise came to Paris to try her luck in show business. While she met with success as a pop singer, she soon found herself radicalized by the Algerian War and the poor treatment of Algerian immigrants in Paris. For the next 20 years, she would join the fight against labor exploitation, social injustice, and racism in France – risking it all for progressive causes. The firsthand account of activist and singer Dominique Grange, Elise and the New Partisans is an authentic and exhilarating glimpse into the front lines of the spirited social movements of late-20th century France. Drawn with typical mastery by legendary French cartoonist Tardi, this graphic novel resonates powerfully at a time when the fight against injustice still rages.

Author Biography

Dominique Grange is a French singer-songwriter, activist, and comics translator whose career was kicked off with her 1968 protest song “Les Nouveaux Partisans” (“The New Partisans”). She and Tardi married in 1983. Tardi is a pioneering, internationally award-winning European cartoonist. His Adèle Blanc-Sec series was adapted into a feature by Luc Besson, and the animated film April and the Extraordinary World was inspired by his cartooning. He lives in Paris with his wife, the singer Dominique Grange, and their cats. Jenna Allen is a freelance translator based in Colorado.