Description
Before Françoise Sagan the literary icon there was Françoise Quoirez, an eighteen-year-old Parisian girl, who wrote a novel and needed a publisher for it.
This intimate narrative charts the months in 1954 leading up to the publication of the legendary Bonjour Tristesse. We encounter Françoise, her family and friends close-up, in a post-war world that is changing radically; and Mlle Quoirez, in her new guise of Françoise Sagan, will be at the heart of that social change.
Sagan was always focused on her writing, though at times the fame of her books was to be eclipsed by her wild-child reputation.
Yet, as Anne Berest herself testifies, Sagan’s fearless approach to life lived on her own terms remains an inspiration even now.
Reviews
‘A fascinating account of Françoise Sagan’s youth’ Stylist
‘ … a unique and inspiring book, recommended for readers attracted to French novels and novelists, literary memoir, and for anyone who may simply want to see a good example of superlative writing.’ Portland Book Review
‘… a clearly carefully researched account that does offer the salient facts, in more engaging and memorable ways than a straightforward factual account likely could.’ The Complete Review
‘A very personal tribute to Bonjour Tristesse, and its pivotal role in female liberation. Berest portrays Sagan as the literary Brigitte Bardot, an author who introduced a generation of women to eroticism and empowered them to take control of their bodies without fearing punishment from God or man … It is a rather touching homage that contains much truth.’ The Times
‘Bold and accomplished’ Livres Hebdo
‘A portrait of French society in the 1950s, a delightful escapade, a hymn to friendship, a token of pure generosity’ Le journal du dimanche
‘Deftly written’ Le Monde
‘…les lecteurs will appreciate this unique glimpse at an eventually influential writer just prior to her fame.’Harriet Non Fiction Review
Bonus Material
