THE late and recently rediscovered Irene Nemirovsky brings to life the differences between the social classes in Russia and France in this expansive novel set during the first half of the 20th Century.

This book, first published in France in 1940, follows the parallel lives of two sides of the Sinner family.

Ada Sinner grows up in the impoverished Jewish quarter of an Ukrainian city, but her distant cousin Harry is brought up in a more affluent area, his father being a successful banker. When Ada catches sight of Harry when the two are children, it begins an infatuation that will change the paths of both their lives.

Nemirovsky’s perceptiveness and attention to detail really shine through in this truly engrossing read, cementing her reputation as a brilliant writer.