Before her death in 1942, Irene Nemirovsky's works were admired and respected. The publication of "Suite Francaise," written during World War II but only recently discovered, has added to her renown and made her internationally known.

The two men commissioned to write her biography found parts of another manuscript, and later, 30 additional pages in her own script. The novel, "Fire in the Blood," again shows the brilliance of this victim of the Holocaust.

Set in a small village in France where everyone knows everything about everyone else, "Fire in the Blood" spans three decades and, little by little, reveals many secrets.

The narrator, Silvio, a ne'er-do-well adventurer and cynic, has returned to spend his last years in his former home. Related to most of the people in the province, Silvio attends the wedding of a cousin, Colette, and becomes aware of the complexities that dominate these rustic, seemingly simple souls. "Fire in the blood, how quickly it burns itself out," he writes in his journal as he cherishes his solitude and considers the passions that flame and devour.

When Colette's young husband, Jean, falls off a bridge to his death, she is loath to tell her parents what actually happened. Thinking that they are above human weakness, she feels great shame for having deceived Jean.

Only Silvio knows that Colette's mother, Helene, too had succumbed to the siren's call and had borne a child before marrying Francois, her true love.

In this short marvel, Nemirovsky writes as if she were part of the community. Her characters, none of whom are heroic or even likable, seem as alive as the emotions they feel.

"Fire in the Blood" is a worthy successor to her earlier books and adds to our sorrow that she did not live to create more for us to read.

---
© Copyright 2008, ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD NEWS

Lynn Eckman is a retired Roanoke College professor.