Lady L.

Romain Gary — one of the brightest French classics, a two-time winner of the Prix Goncourt, author of two dozen brilliant novels read by the whole world. A prominent diplomat, war hero, pilot, commander of the Legion of Honor, Gary was born in Vilna (now Vilnius) and began writing in Russian at the age of 9. His real name is Roman Katchanov, and the pseudonym Gary is derived from the Russian verb “to burn”.

“Lady L.” is a drama of passionate love that unfolded in the late 19th century against the backdrop of robberies and political assassinations committed by anarchists for the sake of “a bright future for humanity”. Half a century later, a venerable English duchess, once passionately in love with a fanatical anarchist, recounts her experiences to an old friend, deeply shocked by the past of the woman he adores. This book is widely considered to be Gary's farewell gift to his first wife, the English writer Leslie Blanch, some traits of whom can be discerned in the irresistible Lady L.