It’s time for another addition of Reading with Blogging Mama. I am doing something a bit different this time, I am going to tell you my selection before I read it. Then maybe we will all read it together. I found this book at the Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off table at Borders. I am going to warn upfront that it is another sad book. I am taken with the World War II Nazi era after reading Jenna Blum’s book (see reading list in sidebar).
The appendixes in the back of the book include letters by Ms. Nemirovsky, her husband and various others she was in frequent contact with. These also include her two last know letters before her death. I’ve spent the past hour reading through the letters and they are very emotional and speak clearly of the increasingly dangerous situation in which Ms. Nemirovsky and her family were living.
I’d love to hear if anyone will be reading the book with me. It is a thought provoking book I look forward to reading.
* I am adding this postscript to my post for Kelly raised a good question which I didn’t make clear. This is actually one book, or rather two part of what was supposed to have been a five part book. The original was written in French and in the opening forward written by the translator, Sandra Smith, she explains that these were two ‘books’ while seeming complete were to be part of larger whole as described in Ms Nemirovsky notes.
Also noted in the end of the book, is the forward that appeared with the original French publication of the book. The notebook containing the book Suite Francaise was in the custody of Ms Nemirovsky’s daughter Denise Epstein since she was a child and fled the Nazi’s after her parents arrests. Neither Ms Epstein or her sister Elizabeth could bring themselves to read the words left in the notebook. It was not until sixty-four years later that it was read and discovered to have been her mothers last work.
So just for clarification…is it 2 separate stories that someone posthumunously put together…or is it just 2 separate stories incomplete at the time of her arrest?I’ll check to see if local library has a copy…it sounds interesting!
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I think it is the living so close to those who would once again like to see harm come to the Jews that means I need to skip. This issue continues to be way too complicated for me to tackle given my present home. But I’m going to bet it sure beats the David Baldacci book I stole from my husband out of desperation for something to read!
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Kelly – I’ve left a postscript with explanation to your questions. Sorry for not being clear 🙂
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Thanks for the clarification…what an incredible back story, huh?!I’m off to see if I can get it through my library
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