1 How big is Jailly in terms of inhabitants and local retailers?

2 Is there a doctor and a pharmacist?

3 Is it being occupied?

4 Can you get any food, on the whole? Do you have butter and meat?

This is particularly important to me now because of the children, as one of them has just had the operation you know about.

[7] Madeleine Cabour, born Avot, was a great friend of Irène Némirovsky, with whom she corresponded regularly as a young girl. After the war, her brother, René Avot, took care of Elisabeth Némirovsky when the legal guardian of the two girls went to the United States. Elisabeth lived with his family until she came of age. (Editor)

10 May 1941

Irène Némirovsky to Robert Esménard

Dear Monsieur, you will recall that, according to our agreement, I was meant to have 24,000 francs on 30 June. I do not need this money at the moment, but I admit that the recent laws regarding the Jews make me fear that difficulties might arise by the time this payment is made in six weeks' time, and that would be disastrous for me. I must therefore appeal to your kindness and ask you to bring forward this payment by immediately giving a cheque in that amount to my brother-in-law, Paul Epstein, made payable to him. I have also asked him to telephone you to come to an arrangement about this. Of course, he will sign a receipt to release you fully from your responsibility towards me. It distresses me to have to trouble you yet again but I am sure you will understand the reasons for my concern. I hope you still have excellent news regarding A. Michel.

17 May 1941

Irène Némirovsky to Robert Esménard

Dear Monsieur Esménard, my brother-in-law told me that you gave him the 24,000 francs you were to send me on 30 June. Thank you so much for your extreme kindness towards me.

2 September 1941

Michel Epstein to the Sous-Préfet of Autun[8]

I have received a letter from Paris informing me that anyone categorised as Jewish may not leave the village where he resides without permission from the authorities.

I find myself in this situation, along with my wife, since, even though we are Catholics, we are of Jewish descent. I therefore am taking the liberty of requesting that you please authorise my wife, born Irène Némirovsky, as well as myself, to spend six weeks in Paris where we also have a home, 10 avenue Constant-Coquelin, for the period from 20 September to 5 November 1941.

This request is made as my wife needs to sort out some business with her publisher, visit the ophthalmologist who has always treated her, as well as seeing the doctors who care for us, Professor Vallery-Radot and Professor Delafontaine. We intend to leave our two children, aged four and eleven, in Issy and, of course, we would like to be sure that there will be no problem returning to Issy, once we have attended to our affairs in Paris.

Doctor in Issy: A. Bendit-Gonin.

[8] Since the department of Saône-et-Loire was divided by the demarcation line, it was the Sous-Préfet who took the place of the Préfet in the occupied section, where the village of Issy-l 'Evêque was located.

8 August 1941

From the Progrès de l'Allier no. 200

SOVIET, LITHUANIAN, ESTONIAN AND LATVIAN RESIDENTS ORDERED TO REPORT TO REGIONAL GERMAN HEADQUARTERS

Every male resident over the age of fifteen of Soviet, Lithuanian, Estonian or Latvian extraction, as well as those who are stateless but who previously held Soviet, Lithuanian, Estonian or Latvian citizenship, are ordered to report in person to their Regional German Headquarters with their identity papers no later than Saturday 9 August 1941 (noon). Anyone who does not report in person will be penalised according to the decree concerning this order.

The Field Commandant.

9 September 1941

Irène Némirovsky to Robert Esménard

I have finally rented the house I wanted here, which is comfortable and has a lovely garden. I am moving in on 11 November if these Gentlemen don't get there first for we are once again expecting them.

13 October 1941

Irène Némirovsky to Robert Esménard

I was happy to receive your letter this morning, not just because it confirms my hope that you will do everything possible to help me, but also because it reassures me that someone is thinking about me, which is a great comfort.

As you can imagine, life here is very sad, and if it weren't for my work…

Even the work becomes painful when the future is so uncertain…

14 October 1941

Irène Némirovsky to André Sabatier[9]

My dear friend, I was very touched by your kind letter. Please do not think that I underestimate either your friendship or M. Esménard's; on the other hand, I perfectly understand the difficulties of the situation. Up until now, I have shown as much patience and courage as I could possibly muster. But, what can you do, there are moments which are very difficult. These are the facts: impossible to work and must be responsible for four people's lives. Added to that are stupid humiliations-I cannot go to Paris; I cannot have even the most basic necessities sent here, such as blankets, beds for the children etc., my books. A general and absolute prohibition has been declared regarding the apartments inhabited by people like me. I'm not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me, but to explain to you why my thoughts can only be dark […]

[9] Literary Director of Albin Michel Publishers. (Editor)

27 October 1941

Robert Esménard to Irène Némirovsky

I have explained your situation to my father-in-law and have also shown him the letters you recently sent me.

As I have told you, A. Michel only wishes to be of service to you in any way possible and he has asked me to offer you a monthly payment of 3,000 francs for the year 1942 which is the same amount he was sending you when it was still possible to publish your works and sell them regularly. Please be so kind as to confirm your agreement.

However, I must point out to you that in accordance with very precise instructions we received from the Syndicat des Éditeurs (Publishers' Union) regarding the interpretation of directives included in the German Decree of 26 April, article 5, we find ourselves in the position of being required to send all royalties received from the sale of Jewish authors' works to their "blocked account." According to this principle, it is stated that "publishers must pay royalties to Jewish authors by sending them to their bank account after receiving confirmation from the bank that the account is blocked."

In addition, I am returning the letter you received from GIBE Films (a copy of which I have kept). According to information I received from a reliable source, a project of this type can only be undertaken if the author of the book to be adapted to the screen is of Aryan origin, both in this zone and the other.[10] I can therefore only be involved in such a project when the author whose work is to be made into a film provides me with the most formal guarantee on this point.

[10] Reference to the Free Zone and the Occupied Zone.

30 October 1941

Irène Némirovsky to Robert Esménard

I have just received your letter offering me a monthly payment of 3,000 francs for the year 1942. I greatly appreciate Monsieur Michel's attitude towards me. I am truly most grateful both to him and to you; the faithful friendship you both have shown me is as precious to me as the material support you wish to give me by doing this. However, you know that if this money must be held in a blocked bank account, it would be of no use to me whatsoever.

I wonder if under the circumstances, it would not be simpler to send the monthly payments to my friend, Mlle Dumot,[11] who lives with me and is the author of a novel entitled Les Biens de ce Monde[12] whose manuscript is with Monsieur Sabatier. […]