September 1812. French troops enter Moscow. Napoleon expects the Russian Tsar to begin peace negotiations. But the city turns out to be a huge trap for the French. Moscow burns for several days, the devastated city lacks food, and Napoleon is forced to leave Moscow. The Cossacks relentlessly pursue the French, forcing them to leave Russia along the old Smolensk road, which the French themselves destroyed. Severe cold, the French are slaughtering horses, killing each other over frozen potatoes. Only the pitiful remnants of the once great army crossed the Berezina River. The heroes of the book, depending on the circumstances, become either courageous, or cowardly, or businessmen, or thieves, cruel, weak, cunning, or in love. This is a story about people, civilian and military, men and women, who, by the will of fate, find themselves in this adventurous war. “It Snowed” is the second part of the imperial trilogy, the first part of which, “The Battle,” was awarded the Grand Prix of the French Academy for the best novel and the Goncourt Prize 1997