A Frozen Woman

This sequel to A Man's Place and prequel to Simple Passion is Ernaux's description of a transformation from girlhood into womanhood. A fictionalized account of the author's teenage awakening and of her later life as a 30-year-old married teacher and mother of two infant sons, A Frozen Woman mixes affection, rage, and bitterness to reveal Ernaux at her most harrowing, affecting, and inspiring.