Before Francoise Sagan the literary icon there was Francoise Queiroz, 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 Francoise, her family and friends close-up, in a post-war world that is changing radically; and Mlle Queiroz, in her new guise of Francoise 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.

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About the Author

Anne Berest is the bestselling author of The Postcard (Europa Editions, 2023) and How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (Doubleday, 2014). She also writes for television, cinema and theatre. She was working on her third novel when Francoise Sagan's son, Denis Westhoff, asked her to write a book to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the publication of Bonjour Tristesse.

Heather Lloyd was previously Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Glasgow, and has published work on Francoise Sagan.

Reviews

'A fascinating account of Francoise Sagan's youth' Stylist

'Bold and accomplished' Livres Hebdo

'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

'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' The Times

'A portrait of French society in the 1950s, a delightful escapade, a hymn to friendship, a token of pure generosity' Le journal du dimanche

Praise for The Postcard

'An intimate and profound story' Elle

'Undeniably compelling' Vogue

'In Berest's phenomenal English-language debut novel the author pieces together stories of her ancestors who were lost at Auschwitz . . . With bracing prose, smoothly translated by Kover, Berest takes an unflinching look at antisemitism past and present . . . This is brilliant' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'The story overall is poignant, tense, restless, and ultimately pivotal, as Anne not only solves her mystery, but, more importantly, gains her identity. The anguish and horror of genocide arrive with fresh impact in an absorbing personal account' Kirkus Reviews

'A passionate and moving story, a reflection on the pain of survivors, Jewishness, and the mysteries of love' Les Echos

Book Information
ISBN 9781908313898
Author Anne Berest
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Gallic Books
Publisher Gallic Books
Weight(grams) 184g