SUITE FRANCAISE by Irene Nemirovsky was published in English in 2006 but was written during the German invasion and occupation of France, which is also the book's plot. Nemirovsky, a Russian-born Jew, envisioned a five part "suite" dealing with an interlocking cast of characters during France's invasion and occupation. SUITE FRANCAISE is the first two of these parts and the only ones completed before Nemirovsky died in Auschwitz in 1942. It is a wonderful read describing the chaotic evacuation of Paris as the Nazis approached and the complex relationships of the occupied French and occupying Germans.
Since it's English publication, the novel has been a favorite with book discussion groups and is well worth reading. The other two Nemirovsky titles available at the library are FIRE IN THE BLOOD and DAVID GOLDER; THE BALL; SNOW IN AUTUMN; THE COURILOF AFFAIR, a collection of four novellas. DAVID GOLDER was her first work published and had established Nemirovsky's reputation as a skilled author.
1 comment:
I truly enjoyed this book. It gives a different perspective to the German occupation of France that the author wrote under extremely difficult conditions. Worth reading a second time.
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