Pedigree (1963; original in French, 1948) and the untranslated Je me souviens (1945) record Simenon's childhood and adolescence. The author uses his encyclopedic memory for names, gestures, physical and psychological quirks, and atmosphere as points of departure in the creation of fictional reality. This is the portrait of his petit bourgeois family in Liege during the early twentieth century. The characters' lives develop against the background of the important sociopolitical events of the period that affect them. The themes of these novels center on Liege and the social class into which Simenon was born. Important, too, are descriptions of his family, notably his domineering mother and long-suffering father, as well as the two large families or clans from which they came. The role of the author himself, especially as a rebellious, debauched youngster, is, of course, great. In addition, the boarders Simenon's mother took in form a significant part...