-Charles de Gaulle, as quoted on azquotes.com. Charles de Gaulle was a French military general and statesman. He was the leader of Free France (1940-1944) and the head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944-1946).
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| Irene Nemirovsky, author of Suite Francaise, who died at Auschwitz at the age of 39. |
Yesterday I finished a good historical novel that I came upon while browsing at Costco. I was at the store for another reason, but I decided just to look at the books to see if there was anything that interested me. Well, I found a true gem, and I didn't even realize the full extent of the importance of it until I read about the author when I was near the end of the book. Irene Nemirovsky was a novelist of Ukrainian Jewish birth who spent more than half of her life in France. She was denied citizenship but considered herself to be French. Her experiences did, no doubt, shape this novel about how France was affected by the Germans during WW II. She and her husband were forced to wear the yellow star, and soon thereafter they were taken to Auschwitz at separate times. Nemirovsky's husband was immediately taken to the gas chambers but she lived in the camp for a month before she died of typhous. Their two daughters managed to hide and to live on thanks to the help of many people who kept them safe. Nemirovsky's novel was hidden and unknown for sixty-four years, and it depicts the troubled times during the Nazi occupation in the 1940s when the German soldiers and Frenchmen had to coexist during a time when all of Europe was at war. The fact that this novel was hidden for so many years reminds me of Harper Lee's first novel, Go Set a Watchman, the first novel that she submitted to her publisher in the mid-1950s. Supposedly this novel was not discovered until 2014, so although it was submitted first, it was published many years after To Kill a Mockingbird and near the time of Harper Lee's death.
You may have noticed that in the past couple of years I've had an interest in France and World War II. Perhaps it's because I visited France for the first time just four years ago and I saw the monument in honor of all of the Jews of France who perished during WW II. This monument is near the front entrance to Notre Dame, and there is a light for every Jew who died. You cannot visit this monument and wonder about how the war affected so many innocent people all across Europe. As I chase a rabbit, this also reminds me of the monument in Edinburgh, Scotland that is a tribute to all of the Scots who died in the American Civil War. There is a large statue of Abraham Lincoln at this monument, and it made me realize that many of the soldiers in our own war were immigrants from places like Scotland. Experiences like these remind us that we do not live in a bubble; we are not the only ones affected by wars and other troubled times.
Nemirovsky experienced much of the WW II turmoil first-hand, and so this is the back-drop for her novel, Suite Francaise, translated by Sandra Smith. In this book we meet people such as the Pericand family, the Michauds, Charles Langelet, the Angelliers, Bruno, and others. The Germans move in and occupy France, and the French are forced to allow soldiers to sleep in their homes.So they must watch their every move so that they don't anger the Germans, and they count their possessions to make sure they don't steal anything. While some of the German soldiers were kind to their hosts, many were not and tore up the French homes. While the French did not like to have a soldier billeting in their homes, some of the soldiers would give small gifts to the family. They were always desperate for enough food and other necessities. But there was always great tension as the two groups had to learn to get along. The soldiers claimed that they were only following orders, so they had to stay where they were assigned. In the end, the soldiers in the small town receive their orders that they are going to Russia, so the townspeople are, for the most part, happy that their enemies have left.
I bought another book at Costco last night, although I generally do not buy books. I had a "weak moment" and bought book by Hazel Gaynor called A Memory of Violets. It's set in London, so I'm following the tendencies to read books set in Europe. I look forward to starting this book soon.
I finished listening to two books in the car recently. I read What On Earth Have I Done? by Robert Fulghum and Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler. Fulghum's book is a collection of essays and Tyler's book is about a 60-year old single man named Liam who tries to redefine himself after he is laid off from his teaching job. Fulghum's book was enjoyable to listen to because of the personal stories and anecdotes, and I would say the story line of Noah's Compass is unremarkable yet somewhat unpredictable. Next time I'll share my thoughts about a movie that I plan to see, Meryl Streep's new film, "Florence Foster Jenkins." I plan to see it this weekend. It sounds like a fun story, and I can't pass up the chance to see a movie by the great Meryl Streep.
After my closing today I'll add some additional photos of my trip to Helen Keller's home and the hometown of Harper Lee. Summer break is soon to come to an end for me, but I think I'm ready for it. Next Friday, August 19, is the first teacher workday for our district. The first day for students is Monday, August 29. Then after one week of teaching we will get our Labor Day weekend! Try to stay cool and let me know your thoughts on the books I'm reading.
-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com
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| Monroeville, Alabama, hometown of Harper Lee |
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| Gardens of Helen Keller's home, Ivy Green, in Tuscumbia, Alabama |
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| A braille typewriter used by Helen Keller |
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