On January 4, 1960, Albert Camus was killed in a car accident. Among the wreckage of the car was found his travel bag and in it a draft version of the novel “The First Man”. Thirty-four years after the death of the author, the book prepared by the writer’s daughter Catherine Camus was published. The novel, essentially autobiographical, is dedicated to Camus' mother: "To you who will never be able to read this book" - she really would not be able to read it because she was illiterate. The hero of the novel, Jacques Cormery, in an effort to revive the memories of his father who died during the First World War, comes to Algeria, where his childhood passed in poverty, which he was able to survive thanks to the love of a silent and illiterate mother and teacher who changed his view of the world. This story gives us an idea of how Camus' personality and his views were formed, and a key to understanding the themes that underlie his work.