Alice Parizeau
Alice Parizeau, born Alice Poznanska in 1930 in Poland, is a notable figure whose life story intertwines personal resilience and literary contribution. During World War II, she was an active member of the Polish resistance and was imprisoned in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, from which she emerged as a survivor. After the war, Parizeau moved to Paris, where she pursued higher education, completing a law degree and a certificate in social studies before relocating to Quebec, Canada, upon her uncle's encouragement. She married Jacques Parizeau in 1976, who served as Quebec's finance minister.
Parizeau's literary career began with travelogues and novels that addressed themes of immigration and the sociopolitical landscape of Poland. Her notable works include "Rue Sherbrooke ouest," which explores the immigrant experience, and "Les Militants," which delves into Quebec's nationalist movement. She also made significant contributions to criminology as the head of the International Centre for Comparative Criminology at the University of Montreal. In the 1980s, her novel "The Lilacs Are Blooming in Warsaw" received critical acclaim, showcasing her ability to weave historical narratives with personal experiences. Diagnosed with cancer in 1988, Parizeau documented her journey in a diary titled "Une femme," published posthumously. Her body of work reflects a deep engagement with her heritage and the complexities of identity in times of turmoil.
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Subject Terms
Alice Parizeau
Writer
- Born: July 25, 1930
- Birthplace: Luniniec (near Kraków), Poland
- Died: September 30, 1990
- Place of death: Outremont, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Alice Parizeau was born Alice Poznanska in 1930 in Poland. Her father, Stanislaus, was an industrialist, her mother, Bronislawa, a concert pianist. During World War II, she took part in the Polish resistance, for which she was imprisoned in the German concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen. She managed to survive there. On her release, she went to Paris, completing her first degree in 1948 and earning a law degree and a certificate in social studies in 1953. Her uncle persuaded her to join him in Quebec, Canada, where she began to practice law and write legal papers. She married Jacques Parizeau in 1976. He was at one time Quebec’s finance minister.
Parizeau’s first book was a travelogue: Voyage en Pologne (journey to Poland, 1962). A similar book appeared in 1965, Une Québécoise en Europe “rouge” (a Quebecois in red Europe). Neither book was well reviewed, with critics complaining that Canada was somewhat idealized. Her first novel, likewise, did not do well. Fuir (1963) is set in France, but the fictional techniques Parizeau used were outdated and even melodramatic, ending with the heroine’s suicide after trying to be an independent career woman.
Parizeau’s next novel, Survivre (1964), was set in Poland during the war, and is somewhat autobiographical. It features a male protagonist, Yves. His story continues in her third novel, Rue Sherbrooke ouest. In this story, Yves, like Parizeau, goes to Canada. Rue Sherbrooke ouest is often reckoned to be her best novel, tracing the immigrant experience, as other Canadian writers have done. Les Militants (1974) deals with the nationalist movement in Quebec, though its political statements tend to overwhelm character development.
In 1972, Parizeau received the prestigious appointment of heading the International Centre for Comparative Criminology at the University of Montreal. This lead to a number of legal studies, including Le Traitement de la criminalité au Canada (with Denis Szabo) and Parenting and Delinquent Youth.
In the 1980’s, she returned to fiction with The Lilacs Are Blooming in Warsaw, which won the Prix Européen de l’Association des Écrivains de la Langue Française for 1982. It was translated and published in English in 1985, winning further praise. Its historical dimensions are particularly significant. The sequels to this book, La Charge des sangliers (the charge of the boars) and Ils se sont connus à Lwow (they met at Lvov), also center on Poland and the sociopolitical situation there under communism. Further novels explore Poland and Paris and themes of exile and alientation, for example, L’Amour de Jeanne (1986) and Nata et le professeur (1988).
In 1988, Parizeau was diagnosed with cancer. She kept a two- year diary of her illness, Une femme, which was published after her death.