The Light of a Woman

French classic with Russian roots, military pilot and brilliant diplomat, Romain Gary (real name - Roman Kacev) is the only writer to have received the Prix Goncourt twice: first in 1956 as Gary, second in 1975 as Émile Ajar. Gary refused to accept the second award and kept the secret of the never-existing “Ajar” until his death. He revealed this mystification only on the day of his suicide in 1980, sending the publisher a text titled “The Life and Death of Émile Ajar.” While releasing ‘Ajar’ books one after the other, he continued to be published as Romain Gary. “The Light of a Woman” (1977) is one of his most famous and poignant novels about the clash of love with death. The novel served as the basis for a film by the famous Costa-Gavras, starring Yves Montand and Romy Schneider.