Berenice 1934-44

The winner of nine literary awards in France, including the Prix Simone Veil, celebrating a woman of action, Berenice 1934-44: An Actress in Occupied Paris is Isabelle Stibbe's poignant debut novel. Now translated into English by Zack Rogow and Renee Morel, Berenice 1934-44 reveals a young woman's struggle to fulfill her career aspirations while concealing herself in war-torn France.Brnice yearns to become an actress, but her parents insist that career is not proper for a girl. She defies her Jewish family to become the leading younger actress in the Comdie-Franaise, France's most renowned theater, right when the Nazis occupy France. Brnice hides her true identity and last name to avoid detection. Living in a world without tolerance and torn between two lovers, Brnice must choose between her passion for the stage, and her allegiance to freedom and to her Jewish heritage.