Women are not born, but become. Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir is considered one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century. As a symbol of women's liberation, she inspired and scandalized her generation through her unconventional relationships. As a philosopher and writer, she won significant literary awards and changed the way we address gender issues with her book The Second Sex.

Despite her successes, however, she wondered whether she was underestimating herself. Although her relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre has been recorded among the legendary love affairs of the previous century, for Beauvoir it came at a cost: she remained in the shadow of the existentialist philosopher for decades.

In recent years, diaries and letters have come to light revealing the ingenuity of her own philosophy and the role of her other lovers in her life. This groundbreaking biography draws material from unpublished sources to tell the fascinating story of how Simone became Beauvoir, the woman who still provokes and inspires us today.

The life of Simone de Beauvoir became a symbol of success for generations of women who no longer settled for "dreaming the dreams of men." She was "the feminist voice of the 20th century" – a philosopher whose thoughts demonstrably changed the course of legislation and many lives.

Beauvoir saw herself as a process of evolution that never stopped. Time passes, dreams change. The individual moments in Beauvoir's process of evolution were very different from one another. But if there is one thing we can learn from her life, it is this: No one evolves alone, no one becomes their true self alone.

Excerpt from the book Do We Need Another Biography of Simone de Beauvoir? Certainly! Based on rich primary material, with respect and empathy, Kate Kirkpatrick reevaluates Beauvoir's life and illustrates how this life was shaped by her existential ideals, but also how it was distorted.

Tove Pettersen, Professor of Philosophy (University of Oslo), former President of the International Simone de Beauvoir Society

WHAT THE PRESS SAID

Thanks to this outstanding biography, we understand that there is still much to learn about Beauvoir. New Statesman

Read it slowly and enjoyably. The Sunday Times

A tribute book to a great woman. Times Higher Education