Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Adult Fiction-Main Level
This long forgotten work is beautiful, yet haunting. What makes “Suite Française” so compelling has very much to do with the author herself. Irene Nemirovsky, a Russian born Jew, was quickly gaining popularity as a French writer before the outbreak of World War II. Originally, “Suite Française” was planned to be a five part work chronically the war from just before the invasion of France to the end which was tentatively called La Paix (Peace.) Unfortunately, Nemirovsky was arrested in July 1942 for being a Jew and sent to Auschwitz where she died.
Before she died, Nemirovsky had finished two parts of the sequence. However, it was not until 1998 that Nemirovsky’s two daughters finally opened the notebook containing the two novellas. Finally, after sixty years, the book was published and has received much critical acclaim.
The first novella is called “Storm in June” and portrays the flight of the people of Paris as they scramble in stunned disbelief to avoid the advancing German army. The narrative follows several groups of people and their struggle to survive while maintaining their humanity. The second novella, “Dolce", follows the uneasy balance of the German occupation. Set in the rural town of Bussy, an intriguing plot unfolds as the differences between the rural French and the German soldiers are explored, eliciting sympathy, unlikely attraction, and hatred.
Considering the context in which it is written, “Suite Française,” is a dramatic novel full of powerful emotions. This is not a historical novel written long after the fact. This is a work of art that was created as the events unfolded.