Initially published as No Place to Lay One's Head – the unforgettable story of one woman's struggle to survive persecution in wartime France
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‘Poignant love letter to literature’ Clare Mulley, Spectator, Books of the Year
‘A book that wholly merits publication… it's rare to find an account of the camps that's so feisty and eccentric’ Lara Feigel, Telegraph
‘An astonishing memoir… as gripping as any thriller… stark and chilling… we owe [Frenkel] a huge debt of gratitude. In sharing her bitter taste of bitter history, she has shown us the worst of humanity – but also the best’ Christina Patterson, Sunday Times
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In 1921, Françoise Frenkel-a Jewish woman from Poland-opens Berlin's very first French bookshop. It is a dream come true. The bookshop attracts artists and diplomats, celebrities and poets. It brings Françoise peace, friendship and prosperity. Then, in the summer of 1939, the dream ends and Françoise's desperate, headlong flight from Nazi persecution begins.
Unfolding in Berlin, Paris and against the romantic landscapes of southern France, A Bookshop in Berlin is a heartbreaking tale of human cruelty and unending kindness; and of a woman whose lust for life refuses to leave her, even in her darkest hours.
Tentang Penulis
Stephanie Smee is a translator of French adult and children's books into English. Her other languages include German, Italian and Swedish.