It is the evening of July 18, 1898 and the world-renowned novelist Émile Zola is on the run. His crime?
Taking on the highest powers in the land with his open letter "J'accuse"—and losing. Forced to leave Paris
with nothing but the clothes he is standing in and a nightshirt wrapped in newspaper, Zola flees to England
with no idea when he will return.
This is the little-known story of Zola's time in exile. Rosen has traced Zola's footsteps from the Gare du
Nord to London, examining the significance of this year. The Disappearance of Émile Zola offers an
intriguing insight into the mind, the loves, and the politics of the great writer during this tumultuous era in
his life.