Marguerite Duras published her autobiographical novel The Lover in 1984. Though she was already an accomplished novelist and filmmaker, it is that book in which she spoke of her childhood in Vietnam that made her a global figure. Having grown up in Vietnam, Duras spoke Vietnamese. She left Vietnam in 1932 and never returned.

In France she obtained a law degree. She was active in the Resistance during the German occupation.

Imagine Duras entering a Vietnamese restaurant in the 1970’s and surprising the staff with a native accent, the five tones of the South. Did her ability to speak Vietnamese inform her writing? After years in France, what was it like to give up her other language? Why did she kill that part of her?