The true story of Simone de Beauvoir's protege. Born out of wedlock early in the last century, impoverished and unloved Violette Leduc meets Simone de Beauvoir in post war Saint-Germaindes-Pres. An intense lifelong relationship develops between the two women authors, based on Violette’s quest for freedom through writing and on Simone’s conviction that she holds in her hands the destiny of an extraordinary writer. ★★★★ "A glorious tale of wish-fulfilment, confirming that writers really can attain self-validation through the pen" - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian