How writers from World War Two inspired Eastbourne author's latest novel

It was whilst researching for The Paris Network, one of the author's previous historical titles published in 2022, that Siobhan came across novelist Irène Némirovsky. Némirovsky had been a bestselling novelist in France before the war, but once the Germans began their occupation, Jewish authors were no longer allowed to be published there.

Siobhan said: “After I read about Irène Némirovsky’s story, I couldn’t get it out of my head. As a novelist myself, it felt impossible to imagine what it must have been like to be told that your publisher could no longer publish your work because you were Jewish. I was hugely inspired by the fact that she continued to write.”

The author, having also read Etty Hillesum’s diary and letters and Dr Viktor Frankl's Man’s Search for Meaning, found that each of these writers added a vital what if to the starting point of her novel.

What if a bestselling French author lost her publishing deal because she was Jewish, and ended up being deported to Auschwitz? And what if she decided that she wasn’t going to be beaten, that she would use her storytelling skills to help encourage and inspire her fellow prisoners to find purpose and meaning?

And so the character of Claudette (Etty) Weil was born.

What readers are saying about Siobhan Curham, ‘Left me speechless.So heartbreakingly beautiful. Probably one of the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given to a novel…', ‘Wow! I am at a loss for words… Incredible… Kept me on the edge of my seat… It broke my heart…' and ‘Just absolutely beautiful. Loved, loved, loved this amazing book.'