About the book: 2002 / French writer Francois Mauriac is one of the most prominent figures in the literature of the 20th century. A Nobel Prize winner, he created his own special, Mauriacian, type of novel. Continuing the tradition established by O. de Balzac and E. Zola, Mauriac explores the subtlest nuances of human psychology. In the center of the narrative of most of his works are relationships within the family. Life constantly tests Mauriac’s heroes for strength, and few of them withstand these tests with honor. F. Mauriac’s novel “The Secret of the Frontenac Family” is a kind of requiem for the special family foundations that have been developing for decades among the bourgeoisie of the south of France. The 20th century is mercilessly destroying them. The word “family” no longer represents unity of purpose, and self-sacrifice for the good of loved ones becomes ridiculous.