Author(s): Irene Nemirovsky

Classics

Introspective and poignant, "The Wine of Solitude" is the most autobiographical of all of the novels from the celebrated author of "Suite Francaise." Beginning in a fictionalized Kiev, "The Wine of Solitude" follows the Karol family through the Great War and the Russian Revolution, as the young Helene grows from a dreamy, unhappy child into a strongwilled young woman. From the hot Kiev summers to the cruel winters of St Petersburg and eventually to springtime in Paris, the would-be writer Helene blossoms, despite her mother's neglect, into a clear-eyed observer of the life around her. Here is a powerful tale of disillusionment -- the story of an upbringing that produces a young woman as hard as a diamond, prepared to wreak a shattering revenge on her mother. A Vintage Paperback Original