Suite Francaise

by Irene Nemirovsky

This book was written in 1941/42 when the author, originally from Russia and the mother of two children, was living through the Nazi occupation of France. It begins with the story of people fleeing the advancing German army and goes on to cover the occupation of a small French village. It's an insightful and beautifully written novel, made all the more meaningful by being written at the time, rather than looking back through rosy coloured spectacles. The author was Jewish and in 1942 was sent to Auschwitz where she died just 10 days later, apparently from typhus. 

The appendix to this edition of the novel is a series of increasingly frantic letters from her husband to anyone he felt may have been able to help his wife after she was interred. 

Paperback, in very good condition.