Solange November 1939 What I learned from Alex during my last visit with him was that his family’s apartment was not above their shop on the Rue des Écouffes as I expected, but actually in the sixteenth arrondissement. “Like many of the Jewish middle class, we’ve since moved out of the Marais,” he told me. “It’s just too crowded now with families like Solomon’s who’ve just arrived. Belleville is the same . . .” He looked into her eyes realizing that she was probably unfamiliar with the changes the community had undergone in the past few years. “But we’ve kept the shop there. The rent is inexpensive, and for our wealthier clients, we take the books to their homes so they can view them privately. “It’s a bit inconvenient to meet near us, but perhaps we could find a place in between. Do you know the Café Saint Georges? It’s across from the old Adolphe Thiers estate. It might be a good meeting place since it’s not far from your grandmother’s.”
