Simone Veil was a French politician who became the fist President of the European Union. In her long-awaited memoir, she described in vivid detail a time of happiness and innocence spent in Nice where she grew up. This happy time came to an abrupt end in 1944 when at the age of 17 her family was deported to the camps. Her mother, father and brother all died in captivity. With undeterred resolve, she studied law and political science and became Minister of Health in the government of Jacques Chirac where her hardest political fight was to introduce the law to legalise abortion. She was elected the fist President of the European Parliament and returned to French government as Minister for Social Affairs. One of France's most beloved political figures, Simone Veil was widely admired for her personal and political courage. A Lifeis a sincere and candid account of an extraordinary life and career, reflection her humanity and determination to improve social standards and maintain economical and political stability in Europe. Simone Veil died in June 2017 at the age of 89. President Macron announced after her death that Simone Veil would rest in the Panthéon, alongside Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Émile Zola, Voltaire and Rousseau.

the best of what France can achieve. Emmanuel Macron

Simone Veil went through history and made history. Having known hell, she was committed to advancing the law and building Europe.Francois Hollande
 

Autorentext

Simone Veil (1927-2017) was a French politician and Minister for Health in the government of Jacques Chirac. She was elected to the French Academy in November 2008. Tamsin Black's translations into English include Pascale Kramer's The Child and Sylvie Matton's Rembrandt's Whore.

Klappentext

Simone Veil, the former French lawyer and politician who became the first President of the European Union, was born Simone Jacob in 1927. In A Life, she describes in vivid detail a childhood of happiness and innocence spent in Nice that came to an abrupt end in 1944 when, at the age of 17, she was deported with her family to concentration camps. Though she survived, her mother, father, and brother all died in captivity. After the liberation of Auschwitz and upon her return to France, Veil studied law and political science and later became Minister for Health under the government of Jacques Chirac. It was there that she fought a successful political battle to introduce a law legalizing abortion in France. She was elected the first female President of the European Parliament and later returned to French government as Minister for Social Affairs. Over her many years of service, Veil was a bastion of social progress and a powerful individual symbol for the advancement of women's rights around the world. Veil was one of France's most beloved public figures, most admired for her personal and political courage. Her memoir, published here in English for the first time, is a sincere and candid account of an extraordinary life and career, reflecting both her humanity and her determination to improve social standards at home and maintain economic and political stability in Europe. In the wake of her passing in 2017, this translation of her memoir stands as a fitting tribute to an unparalleled life of survival, selflessness, and unwavering public service.

Zusammenfassung
Veil, one of France's most beloved political figures, is admired for her personal and political courage,and enjoys respect from all political spectrums.