I read this novel when it was first published in 1989 and second time around, I found it as lucid and moving as I remembered. It tells the story of a son's attempts to discover the part his father played in the Vichy government. Was he a misguided patriot or a treacherous collaborator? In telling his story, Massie manages to tell a much bigger one, that of war-torn France itself. A brilliant piece of writing.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 37 December 2006 ) |
