Reddit reviews Suite Française

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Watership Down

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky? Not quite kissing, but: http://www.amazon.com/Suite-Francaise-Irene-Nemirovsky/dp/1400096278

Since you've indicated that you're interested in cultural aspects as well as hard-nosed history I'll recommend for you 'Suite Francaise', a collection of two novellas by Irene Nemirovsky.

She was a Jewish woman of Russian descent living in Paris during the war who wrote fictionalized accounts of the flight of upper-middle class Parisians from the occupation. She was captured and perished but her daughters salvaged the manuscripts and they were translated in to English a few years ago.

Although the specifics of these novels are fictional, the names of the individuals etc., they are heavily based in direct personal experience.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-04-09/entertainment/0604070404_1_suite-francaise-novels-nazi

http://www.amazon.com/Suite-Francaise-Irene-Nemirovsky/dp/1400096278

Suite Française (Irène Némirovsky) is probably the most recent one I've read that is set in Paris. This is an incomplete book. What's neat about it is that it's literature, but in the style of a symphony. And you can totally see the Overture and a the first part of the Allegro movement.

I thought Newton's Cannon (Gregory Keyes) was interesting, although it was between Paris and Versailles.

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Michael Scott) has portions in Paris.

There are also the usual lineup: Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables, Three Musketeers.

Almost done with Suite Fraçaise by Irène Némirovsky, which is one of the earliest novels written about WWII since it was being written as the war was happening (the author later died at Auschwitz).


Getting ready to start The Girls by Emma Cline for next month's EM Ladies book club event.

I just finished The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew. It was really good, but really sad. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading The Help.