19 October 1942

Michel Epstein to André Sabatier (Creusot Prison)

[letter written in pencil]

I am still at Creusot, being treated very well and in perfect health. I do not know when we will continue our journey or where we are going. I am counting on your friendship towards my family. They will need it. I am certain you will look after them. Apart from that, there is nothing I can tell you except that I am keeping faith and I bid you farewell.

Michel was first imprisoned at Creusot, then taken to Drancy. On 6 November 1942 he was deported to Auschwitz and sent immediately to the gas chamber. There is then a two-year gap in the correspondence. (Translator)

1 October 1944

Julie Dumot to Robert Esménard

I am writing to ask you to continue sending the monthly payments. You know that I have had many worries. For seven months I have had to keep hiding them in different places. I hope this nightmare is now over. I have gone to get the children to put them into boarding school. My eldest girl is in the third year of secondary school,[30] they are happy finally to be free for Denise will be able to do her schoolwork more calmly as her future is also at stake.

[30] Age thirteen to fourteen.

10 October 1944

Julie Dumot to André Sabatier

I have received the 15,000 francs. I have been worried about my children since last February. I had to hide them again. That is certainly the reason why Sister Saint-Gabriel did not reply to you. They couldn't go to school for seven months. I hope we will be more settled now and that they will work hard. I have put them back in boarding school. Denise is in the third year of secondary school and Babet in the fourth year of primary school.[31] They are very happy to see their friends again and the good Sisters who helped me so much in our time of need. I hope that now nothing else will happen to torture us while we wait for the return of our family in exile. Is it possible to sell any author's work now or are sales still being regulated?

[31] Age eight to nine.

30 October 1944

Robert Esménard to Julie Dumot

Thank you for your letter of 1 October. I can see that you have had to suffer through many cruel days of anguish. Now you can finally put your mind at rest regarding the girls' future who will be able to pursue their studies in peace; we can only hope that this terrifying nightmare will soon come to an end and that in the very near future you will receive some word of their parents. This is, as you know, one of my dearest wishes…

9 November 1944

André Sabatier to Julie Dumot

I read with great trepidation the fears you recently had regarding your children. I can only rejoice now in knowing that you are safe from all the measures of the type to which you allude. All we can do now is pray for the swift return of those who have been taken from us.

Monsieur Esménard has, of course, given the necessary instructions for the remaining copies of Mme I. Némirovsky's works to be sold. As for me, I have been wondering if now would be the time to publish the two manuscripts of hers that I have, her novel Les Biens de ce Monde and her biography of Chekhov. Like myself, Monsieur Esménard considers it would be preferable to postpone such publication, for it would perhaps be dangerous to attract attention to her at a time when her situation does not protect her from potentially dreadful reprisals.

27 December 1944

Robert Esménard to Julie Dumot

May 1945 finally bring us peace and the return of your dear absent family.

1945

Albin Michel to Julie Dumot

9000 francs (June-July-August 1945).

8 January 1945

Reply of Robert Esménard to R. Adler

We received the card dated 13 October 1944 addressed to Mme Némirovsky, but alas! we have not been able to forward it to her. In fact, Mme Némirovsky was arrested on 13 July 1942 at Issy where she had been living since 1940 and taken to the concentration camp at Pithiviers, then deported the same month. Her husband was arrested a few weeks later and also deported. All attempts to intervene on their behalf were futile and no one has heard from either of them since. Fortunately, their two little girls were saved thanks to a loyal friend with whom they are living in the provinces. Please believe that we deeply regret having to be the bearer of such news.

16 January 1945

Reply of Albin Michel to A. Shal

Thank you for your card dated 6 November 1944 addressed to Mme Némirovsky. Alas! it will be impossible for us to forward this card to her for our author and friend was taken away in 1942 and marched to some camp or other in Poland. Since then, in spite of many various efforts, we have never been able to learn anything. Her husband had the same fate a few months after his wife. As for the children, they were fortunately entrusted to friends of the family in time and are currently doing well. I deeply regret having to be the bearer of such sad news. Let us not lose hope…

5 April 1945

Marc Aldanov to Robert Esménard

(Found[ation] for the relief of men of letters and scientists of Russia - New York )

We have just learned the tragic news regarding Irène Némirovsky from Madame Raïssa Adler. Madame Adler has also told us that her two daughters were saved by one of their grandfather's former companions. This woman, Mlle Dumot, we understand, is a completely trustworthy person, but unfortunately is lacking in financial means and cannot, therefore, take responsibility for their education.

The friends and admirers of Mme Némirovsky in New York met to discuss how we might be able to help the children. But they are neither numerous nor rich here. As for our committee, today we number about one hundred men of letters and scientists. We have been unable to do enough. This is why we are contacting you, dear Monsieur, to find out if Mme Némirovsky has any funds with her French publishers from royalties and if so, to see if it would be possible for you and your colleagues to place a portion of these fees at the disposal of the two children. We will send you their address.

11 May 1945

Robert Esménard to Marc Aldanov

Mme Némirovsky was, alas! arrested on 13 July 1942, taken to the concentration camp at Pithiviers, then deported. Her husband, a few weeks later, met the same fate. We have never heard from them again and we are terribly worried about them.

I know that Mlle Dumot, who saved the two little girls, is raising them perfectly well. In order for her to do so, I must tell you that since Irène Némirovsky's arrest, I have sent Mlle Dumot large sums of money which come to nearly 151,000 francs and that we are continuing to provide her with a monthly payment of 3,000 francs.

1 June 1945

André Sabatier to Julie Dumot

I have been thinking of you and your children often since the camp survivors and prisoners have begun to return to France. I am assuming that for the moment you haven't heard anything or you certainly would have let me know. As for me, I have been unable to find out anything at all. I asked Mme J. J. Bernard[32] who knew Mme Némirovsky and who is currently with the Red Cross trying to take the necessary steps to find something out. Naturally, if I hear anything at all, you will be the first to know. There is one question I wanted to ask you: what happened to the manuscripts that were at Issy when Mme Némirovsky was arrested? I heard that there was a long novella she'd finished. Would you happen to have the text? If so, could you send it to me so we could possibly publish it in our journal La Nef.

[32] Mme Jean-Jacques Bernard, wife of the writer Jean-Jacques Bernard, son of [the writer] Tristan Bernard. (Editor)