In English for the first time, this story of love and friendship resonates far more deeply than expected.

When a striking young girl enters her school, Sylvie is immediately drawn to her. Andree is clever, confident and everything that Sylvie wishes to be. Yet as they grow older, their relationship changes and what began as simple infatuation unfolds into something deeper, which will ultimately end in tragedy.

This, Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘lost’ novel from 1954, hasn’t seen an English translation before and was never published during her lifetime. On the surface, this short book is beautifully written and yet seems a little hidden and perhaps brief in execution. With a superb introduction by Deborah Levy and an afterword by de Beauvoir’s adopted daughter though, we come to understand the tender, heart-breaking and autobiographical nature of what the author has created.

A short, but extremely thoughtful story which shows the author’s immense range and humanity.

(review by Cliff)