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THE FIRES ARE STILL BURNING

April 13, 2008 1:52 am

LOVE AND LONGING serve as the central themes in "Fire in the Blood," a thought-to-be-lost novel by Irene Nemirovsky. Known for the best-selling "Suite Francaise," an instant classic published decades after its creation, Nemirovsky returns with a promising follow-up. In this go-round, she offers an alluring story about families, friends and loved ones torn apart by fiery passion and youthful foolishness.

The story is set in the Burgundy village of Issy L'Eveque, a tight-knit community where privacy goes hand-in-hand with gossip. Our narrator is Silvio, a middle-aged man who's confronted with memories of lost love and youth. When he's not hiding from life, he's living vicariously through his cousin, Helene, and her daughter, Collette--two women who've faced their share of heartbreak. It is through his interactions with these women that Silvio recounts two decades of lust, tragedy and betrayal. He specifically recalls the "fire in the blood" that makes young people act foolish in the face of love. It is this internal fire that challenges the characters and forces them to confront their behavior.

Nemirovsky is well-known for her reflective, socially driven literature. This is a perfect example of her cultural cognizance, in that it aptly captures the purity and devastation of forbidden love affairs. All in all, "Fire in the Blood" is a rich accomplishment that deserves a place in the annals of fine fiction.

Nicholas Addison Thomas is a freelance writer living in Fredericksburg.