Award-winning French playwright Reza joined Nicolas Sarkozy and his team as he campaigned for the French presidency. This is a spellbinding look at the interplay between two formidable figures, bound by intellect and nation.
In this compelling narrative, a writer embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind his family's tragic past during World War II, blending memoir, reportage, mystery, and scholarly investigation. The journey begins with the haunting memory of six relatives who vanished during the Holocaust, a topic that captivated him since childhood. Years later, the discovery of desperate letters from 1939 written by his grandfather prompts him to seek out the remaining witnesses to his family's fate. This search spans a dozen countries across four continents, revealing the painful discrepancies between lived histories and the stories we tell. Ultimately, it leads him back to the small Ukrainian town where his family's saga began, where answers to a long-standing mystery await. By weaving together past and present, childhood memories of a lost generation of immigrant Jews, and reflections on biblical texts and Jewish history, the narrative transforms a personal family story into a profound meditation on memory and the passage of time. Deeply personal and suspenseful, this literary work illuminates what is lost and found in our attempts to grasp the past. The author’s exploration is described as a powerful and moving investigation, reminiscent of Proust and Sebald, and is praised for its human depth, where every witness has a face and a story.
Imagine becoming a bestselling novelist while still in college, and almost immediately famous and wealthy, then seeing your insufferable father reduced to a bag of ashes in a safety-deposit box, even as your celebrity drowns in a sea of vilification, booze and drugs.
America, 1959. with two young children she adores, loving parents back in London, and an admired husband, Charlie, working at the British embassy in Washington, the world seems an effervescent place of parties, jazz and family happiness to Mary van der Linden. But the Eisenhower years are ending, and 1960 brings the presidential battle between two ambitious senators: John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. An American newspaper reporter called Frank Renzo dramatically enters the van der Linden's lives, and through him Mary is forced to confront the terror of the Cold War that is the dark background of their carefree existence.
Awarded the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction, this New York Times bestseller showcases the author’s compelling narrative style. It has been recognized as a Notable Book by the New York Times, highlighting its impact and quality. The story promises to engage readers with its unique themes and character development, making it a standout in contemporary literature.