Beginning in Paris on the eve of the Nazi occupation in 1940. Suite Française tells the remarkable story of men and women thrown together in circumstances beyond their control. As Parisians flee the city, human folly surfaces in every imaginable way: a wealthy mother searches for sweets in a town without food; a couple is terrified at the thought of losing their jobs, even as their world begins to fall apart. Moving on to a provincial village now occupied by German soldiers, the locals must learn to coexist with the enemy—in their town, their homes, even in their hearts.
When Irène Némirovsky began working on Suite Française, she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died. For sixty-four years, this novel remained hidden and unknown.
I found the stories quite interesting, the characters to be very well drawn, and the descriptive writing brought the scenes to life. And all the more fascinating considering the author's life story. What a gift that her writings have finally been published for us to enjoy.
It wasn't as great as I was expecting it to be. The first half of the book has too many characters and can be difficult to follow. The second half really pulls you in with focus on a specific group of people. So I definitely like the second half more than the first.
