Word Ferret – Fiction and Literary Commentary

Sysnopsis: Told from the point of view of Silvio, Fire in the Blood tells the story of Silvio’s cousin’s wife, Helene, her husband Francoise and of the lives of their family and neighbours in a small provicial town. From his narrative, we learn about the loves, infidelities, deaths and betrayals of those closest to him.

General Comments:  Although I thought the book was too short and appeared to be put to an abrupt end, (possibly incomplete due to the author’s imprisonment and subsequent death at Auschwitz) once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. The language is fluid, and beautifully written. I managed to get through it in one sitting. It’s an honest account of relationships and the love and on occasion, lies that keep people together. I just wish she would have lived to produce more works like this.

About the author:  Irene Nemirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903, the daughter of a Jewish Banker. The family moved to France, escaping the Russian Revolution, where she became a novelist. In July 1942 she was arrested and sent to Pithiviers concentration camp and from there was deported to Auschwitz where she died in August 1942. Fire in the Blood was first published in March 2007 by the publishers who discovered and published Suite Francaise. Other works include: David Golder, All Our Worldly Goods, The Courilof Affair and Le Bal.

If you wish to have a read, you can pick up the book at Amazon by following this link: Fire in the Blood