Finalist for the French-American Florence Gould Translation Prize
A novel by the iconic Simone de Beauvoir of an intense and vivid
girlhood friendship that, unpublished in her lifetime, displays
"Beauvoir's genius as a fiction writer" (Wall Street Journal)
From the moment Sylvie and Andrée meet in their Parisian day school,
they see in each other an accomplice with whom to confront the mysteries
of girlhood. For the next ten years, the two are the closest of friends
and confidantes as they explore life in a post-World War One France, and
as Andrée becomes increasingly reckless and rebellious, edging closer to
peril.
Sylvie, insightful and observant, sees a France of clashing ideals and
religious hypocrisy--and at an early age is determined to form her own
opinions. Andrée, a tempestuous dreamer, is inclined to melodrama and
romance. Despite their different natures they rely on each other to
safeguard their secrets while entering adulthood in a world that did not
pay much attention to the wills and desires of young women.
Deemed too intimate to publish during Simone de Beauvoir's life,
Inseparable offers fresh insight into the groundbreaking feminist's
own coming-of-age; her transformative, tragic friendship with her
childhood friend Zaza Lacoin; and how her youthful relationships shaped
her philosophy. Sandra Smith's vibrant translation of the novel will be
long cherished by de Beauvoir devotees and first-time readers alike.
