After enjoying Fire in the Blood I’m now reading Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky. I’m interested in knowing more about her, so am pleased that the copy I’m reading has a couple of Appendices and a translation of the Preface to the French Edition published in 2004. 
Appendix I is a transcript of her handwriiten notes on the situation in France and her plans for Suite Française and Appendix II is correspondence 1936 -1945.
The manuscript of Suite Française survived after Irène was arrested and deported to Auschwitz where she died in 1942, because her daughter, Denise put it into a suitcase as she and her sister fled from Issy l’Eveque. She took it as a momento and didn’t read it for many years.
Another book I started to read yesterday is The Hidden by Tobias Hill. I’d been looking forward to reading this book since last November as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Programme. It arrived on Thursday just as I had given up hope of receiving it. So far it looks extremely promising as the story alternates between Ben in Greece after the breakup of his marriage and the archaeology of Sparta. My knowledge of Sparta is limited but reading this book it appears that this is not just down to my ignorance but to the fact that little remains of their civilisation. My limited knowledge remembered vaguely from school is that the Spartans were fierce fighters and they put babies out on the hillside to see if they would survive.
BooksPlease 
I plan to read Suite Francaise this year if I get hold of it. Sometimes it is so difficult in India.
Sunday Salon readings
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SF swept me away….What an amazing story? And the story behind the story was magnificent as well! Imagine all the great writings that never found their way to a publisher.
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Suite Francaise is on my tbr read list. And The Hidden does sound interesting. Have a nice Sunday.
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I’ve had Suite Francaise in my TBR stacks for probably a couple of years now. I meant to read it last year but never got around to it. I must really try to read it this year.
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Margaret, I’ll be interested to hear what you think of SUITE FRANCAISE. I will be starting it next just as soon as I finish Louise Penny’s new Inspector Gamache book (it’s wonderful by the way). I’m looking forward to reading SF and talking with my book group about it.
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I really must get Suite Francaise read soon. Sounds like most of your commenters are in the same boat as me! It’s on my shelf but not high on my list. I’ve heard such great things about it though.
Hope your week is wonderful.
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Oh I loved Suite Francaise. I was less keen on Fire in The Blood, though. Glad that this gifted writer is getting the acclaim she deserves.
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I read Fire in the Blood last year and thought it was pretty good. I really must read Suite Francaise soon–It’s one of those books I’ve been meaning to get to for ages.
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