Title: Suite Francaise

Author: Irene Nemirovsky, Translated by Sandra Smith

Publishing information: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006 .  $25.00 

Reviewed by: Carolyn Salcedo

Published in the Lodi News Sentinel: January 27 , 2007

Suite Francaise was written in 1941-1942 during the German occupation of France, and was published in France in 2003 by the author’s daughter (the English translation published in 2006).  Irene Nemirovsky’s last work was intended to be five novellas, but only two were completed before her arrest and eventual death in Auschwitz.  The first part, Quiet Storm, vividly describes the exodus of Parisians into the French countryside during the German invasion in June, 1941.  The second part describes the German occupation and the French citizens attempt to co-exist with the enemy after June’s defeat.

The author was arrested at the French country home where she had taken refuge on the grounds of being a Jew.  She died before completing the manuscript, which was discovered by her daughter in a suitcase and carefully transcribed using a magnifying glass.  The appendix includes her personal notes as well as letter from her husband to the Nazi officials pleading for her release.
 
Author's strengths:
The writing is vivid and descriptive of the characters and events allowing the reader to feel and experience the events as they unfold.  The reader is drawn into the story of desperation, defeat and survival.  Her description of Parisians initial denial and eventual escape into the countryside details the corruption and kindness of humankind.  Socio and economic boundaries are forgotten as every person struggles to fulfill basic needs. 

Why did you choose this book?
I originally believed it was another story of the holocaust, but it does not even mention the arrests of the Jewish citizens.  This is a story of the French and their experience with the defeat and occupation of France by the Nazis.  It is also an examination of how people react to extreme circumstances and how they cope with what resources they have.

Comments:
Although it is tempting, I suggest reading and enjoying the story first before reading the introduction and the appendix.  The author’s own story is sad, but should not overshadow her work and the story created while she was experiencing her last days of freedom.