Force of Circumstance

The third volume of Beauvoir's memoirs, covering the years from 1944 to 1962. It begins with the liberation of Paris and follows her rise as a writer, the success of The Second Sex, and the publication of The Mandarins. She describes travels, friendships, her relationship with Sartre and her involvement in political debates, including the Algerian war. Alongside public events, she reflects openly on ageing and disillusion. It is a rich account of postwar intellectual life in France.