While researching the life of a writer, a biographer accidentally discovers thousands of letters of denunciation. Written during the Occupation, these letters are not yet open for public consultation. Among the letters, the biographer recognizes the name of a friend, a shopkeeper whose family was deported to Auschwitz.
Who denounced the family and what compelled them to do so? The name of the informer appears in the files. A name, but not a motive. The culprit is someone close to the family. Revealing their identity would mean denouncing them in return. Moreover, some would prefer to let the past pass and not wake old demons.
The novel takes takes place in Paris's 15th arrondissement between three stores, a bistro, a church, and a bus. It is a reflection of post-Occupation France, its silences and its ommissions, in micro-form.
A haunting meditation on the banality of evil, Assouline tells the story of a man obsessed with unveiling the truth, no matter its consequences.