One Day in France
Tragedy and Betrayal in an Occupied Village
by Jean-Marie Borzeix, translated by Gay McAuley, with a foreword by Caroline Moorehead
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Pub Date 21 Jun 2016 | Archive Date 7 Jun 2016
Description
A true story from the darkest days of WWII
April 6, 1944. A detachment of German soldiers arrive in a rural French town, hunting down resistance fighters, many of whom are hiding in the region. More than sixty years later, the villagers clearly remember the day when four peasants from a nearby village were taken hostage and shot as an example to others. But do they remember the whole story?
Jean-Marie Borzeix sets out to investigate the events of Holy Week 1944, and to reveal the hidden truths of that fateful day. He uncovers the story of a mysterious ‘fifth man’ shot alongside the resisters and eventually unravels a trail which leads him to Paris, Israel and into the darkest corners of the Holocaust in France. A captivating story, the events of this day in a small, entirely typical, village illuminate the true impact of World War II in France
Advance Praise
‘A completely enthralling and disturbing account of a forgotten episode during the Nazi occupation of France in World War II. An exceptional and moving work of historical investigation.’
WILLIAM BOYD
‘A completely enthralling and disturbing account of a forgotten episode during the Nazi occupation of France in World War II. An exceptional and moving work of historical investigation.’
WILLIAM BOYD
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781784536220 |
| PRICE | US$25.00 (USD) |
Average rating from 23 members
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 311856
On April 6, 1944 the Germans rolled into the sleepy village of Bugeat, France. Increasingly frustrated by losses on the eastern front and increased attacks from the French resistance-- as if the Nazis ever needed a reason-- they rounded up civilians they deemed the enemy: resistance members and Jews. The four partisan men were shot on the side of the road, and the Jewish families deported. One Jewish man with ties to the resistance was tortured and shot when he refused to name names. The author pieces together the events of the bloody day using eyewitness accounts and archive material.
Once sections like the translator notes are removed, the actual meat of this book is a mere 135 pages. Even with the best intentions, the author only discovers scant evidence for what happened that day, and is forced to fill in the blanks. The writing suffers from want of organization and flow.
Christine E, Reviewer
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
Everyone knows that no one event is remembered the same way by everyone involved. Memory becomes even harder to pin down when those involved in the event have reason not to remember or lose that memory though illness or death.
In many ways, this hard to search for truth is what Borzeix is trying to straighten out in this book. He wants to discover the truth behind the death of four people, perhaps connected to the Resistance, as well as more about the fifth man that not everyone talks about. The fifth man was a Jewish man whose family survived the Holocaust. It is a discussion and a letter about a memorial and tombstone that, in part, sets Borzeix upon his quest. He also seems possessed by a desire to discover and come to terms with Occupied France’s treatment of its Jewish population.
The investigation aspect of the book is engrossing, if a little disorganized. At times, the direction of the book is a little choppy to follow. That said, the most important parts of the book conceal the sections about memory, in particular national memory and a struggle to come to terms with a nation’s past. Considering that is something many nations are dealing with, it brings the work a step above most.
Reviewer 205352
A memorable book
Jean-Marie Borzeix’s book looks at the events which took place in a small village in France in World War 2.
We follow the author through his diligent research across Europe as he finds and follows the trail of murder.
However this is not a straight history as Jean-Marie Borzeix also investigates memory - why we remember, what we remember and what we forget.
A memorable book that is excellently translated, written in rich prose and lovely language.
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