The definitive biography of a leading twentieth-century French writerA leading exponent of the nouveau roman, Nathalie Sarraute (1900-1999) was also one of France's most cosmopolitan literary figures, and her life was bound up with the intellectual and political ferment of twentieth-century Europe. Ann Jefferson's Nathalie Sarraute: A Life Betw

"Ann Jefferson's biography of Nathalie Sarraute is impeccably researched and elegantly written. The reader turns the final pages with sorrow and regret—both that Sarraute's life is over, and that this marvelous book has come to an end."—Alice Kaplan, author of Looking for "The Stranger": Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic“In Ann Jefferson, Nathalie Sarraute has found the ideal biographer. Fluent in French and Russian, and an internationally renowned expert on Sarraute’s writing, Jefferson has succeeded in telling the story of Sarraute’s life in an admirably neutral key, in keeping with Sarraute’s own literary principles. Rigorously researched, the book offers startling new information about Sarraute’s harrowing experiences as a persecuted Jew in France during the Occupation. This is the biography of record, indispensable for anyone interested in Sarraute.”—Toril Moi, Duke University“This first biography of Nathalie Sarraute gives us a rich portrait of the woman behind the avant-garde French novelist. Ann Jefferson, a distinguished critic of Sarraute’s work who knew the author personally, recounts with verve the writer’s family life, her survival during World War II, and her active role in the literary world of postwar Paris. Based on archival sources as well as personal papers and reminiscences provided by Sarraute’s family, this is a must-read for anyone interested in modern French literature.”—Susan Rubin Suleiman, author of The Némirovsky Question: The Life, Death, and Legacy of a Jewish Writer in 20th-Century France"A magnificent achievement: fascinating, readable, exhaustive. It is the definitive biography this important literary figure deserves."—Elisabeth Ladenson, author of Dirt for Art's Sake: Books on Trial from "Madame Bovary" to "Lolita"