The Author
Anne Sebba is an author, lecturer and presenter. She has written 10 books, mostly about strong women who have lived against difficult odds, or who have fought for rights.
The Book
Les Parisiennes is Anne Sebba’s most recent book (as I write). Set against the Paris occupation of World War Two, she presents a collection of women from all walks of life. From high society to Pigalle prostitutes, female Nazi officers to French resistors, she shows how they lived and survived at this turbulent time.
Review
Anne Sebba gives an unbiased view of the women of Paris in the 1940s. Whether they collaborated or had relationships with Nazi officers, they are never judged for their decisions. This allows for a more honest account of the difficult, and sometimes dangerous, life that they had under occupation.
Starting from the pre-war years and ending just after the war, the lives of the women are presented in chronological order. There are some harrowing stories, as those on the Nazi hit list were put in detention centres or concentration camps. The poverty and starvation that incurred to most of the population of Paris, due to the occupation, is told in a frank and explicit way.
The depth of research that went into this book is huge. Some people were interviewed for the book, though much is taken from primary evidence — letters and documentation. Each story is allowed to live through the years and develop in a natural way.
The only downside to the book is that, as it is presented in chronological order, and there are many names in this book, it is hard to keep track of who-is-who. Names will pop up at different points as the story of Paris unfolds, and it can be hard to recollect what was said about them previously. But the stories themselves are worth their weight in gold, as the individual stories give a personal and deeper meaning to the people who lived through this historic time.
This article was originally published on Medium.
Charlotte Clark 