The Affair

We read The Affair for our book study group.

Not that kind of affair. The "Dreyfus Affair" was a cause célèbre in France at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th.

Basically, a French Jewish army officer was falsely accused of espionage and convicted, on thin evidence. He was sent off to Devil's Island.

At first, it may have been a too-hasty mistaken judgment. But then the evidence started looking like they had the wrong man. And important generals decided to cover up the problem to avoid embarrassment.

This dragged on through multiple court hearings and trials, much stonewalling and manufacturing of evidence on the part of the army.

After a long battle, which polarized French society, he was declared innocent - and he rejoined the army and served through World War I.

After long years
of being imprisoned and smeared,
he was freed and cleared.