Aged 105, Rose has endured more than her fair share of hardships: the Armenian genocide, the Nazi regime, and the delirium of Maoism. Yet somehow, despite all the suffering, Rose never loses her joie de vivre. As she looks back over her long life - one of survival and, sometimes, one of retribution - she recalls those unique experiences that added such spice to her life, whether it was being a confidante to Hitler, a friend to Simone de Beauvoir or cooking for Heinrich Himmler.

Franz-Olivier Giesbert is a French author, journalist and television presenter. He has worked forLe Nouvel Observateur,Le Figaro andLe Point and he appears on literary and cultural television shows on a range of channels.