Village of Secrets by Caroline Moorehead is the WW2 story of the residents of a small group of slightly remote mountain villages within France’s Massif Centrale where they acted together in defiance of the German occupiers by hiding Jews, protestors, Communists and anyone else the Germans were keen to find. The villages had an advantage in that they were remote and that people approaching could be seen from afar – there is also some evidence that the Germans who were responsible for running the area colluded with the inhabitants in various ways. The people of the villages fed the fugitives and arranged escapes when possible and thus kept them out of the concentration camps where they were likely to die by design or neglect. When raided, the villagers were able to move those that were hidden to temporary safe places in the woods and elsewhere. There was one other rare and curious fact – no one was betrayed from within the communities.
Each chapter within the book tells a different story and, together they combine to form an unusual story. The stories are told in some detail but I found that added to the fascination of the book because the little details were vitally important to the well-being of those who were helped. This book is about big and small acts of heroism and humanity.
The author tells the stories of individuals but also explains where there is now a difference of understanding about what happened, who was involved and who the leaders were. There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding this subject but the author acknowledges and explains that there are different opinions regarding certain people and events. I found the book totally absorbing and recommend it to anyone interested in the history of this period or who likes a fascinating story.
Anne Is Reading 