Mad in Pursuit

Like her "La Batarde", Leduc delves into her psyche and chronicles her moods, obsessions, and madness for the nuggets of insight they can contain. With astonishing honesty and ability, she serves us a remarkable and lush memoir of a writer plagued by self-doubt. Another fascinating aspect of the book is Violette's one-sided love affair with Simone de Beauvoir, and Violette's friendships with the varied famous of the time. This is a book to hold close and chew slowly.