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Illustrated portrait of Daniel Esperanza

A character in A Very Long Engagement

Daniel Esperanza

The dying sergeant whose testimony begins the investigation.

What they want

To leave an honest record of what he witnessed before he dies.

The book

Cover of A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot
A Very Long EngagementSébastien Japrisot, 1991

A young artist rebuilds the truth about five condemned soldiers from letters, witnesses, codes, and stubborn love.

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At a glance

Role
the escort of the condemned five
Pressure
The dying sergeant whose testimony begins the investigation.
Goal
To leave an honest record of what he witnessed before he dies.
Evidence
He gives Mathilde letters and testimony but did not see every death.

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Daniel Esperanza is the escort of the condemned five. The dying sergeant whose testimony begins the investigation.

The character wants to leave an honest record of what he witnessed before he dies.. That desire determines what is remembered, hidden, or investigated.

He gives Mathilde letters and testimony but did not see every death. The detail matters because Mathilde can reach the truth only by comparing partial accounts.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Rolethe escort of the condemned five
  • PressureThe dying sergeant whose testimony begins the investigation.
  • GoalTo leave an honest record of what he witnessed before he dies.
  • EvidenceHe gives Mathilde letters and testimony but did not see every death.
What happens to Daniel EsperanzaHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

He gives Mathilde letters and testimony but did not see every death.

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