Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France by Caroline Moorehead (review)

Village of Secrets:  Defying the Nazis in Vichy France

Author:  Caroline Moorehead

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published:  October 2014

Pages:  384

ISBN 978-0062202475

Genre:  History, Non-fiction

Source:  an advance reader's copy was supplied by the publisher and TLC book tours in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

From the author of the New York Times bestseller A Train in Winter comes the fascinating story of a French village that helped save thousands hunted by the Gestapo during World War II.

High up in the mountains of the southern Massif Central in France lie tiny, remote villages united by a long and particular history. During the Second World War, the inhabitants of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and its parishes saved thousands wanted by the Gestapo: resisters, Freemasons, communists, and, above all, Jews, many of them orphans whose parents had been deported to concentration camps. There were no informers, no denunciations, and no one broke ranks. During raids, the children would hide in the woods, their packs on their backs, waiting to hear the farmers' song that told them it was safe to return. After the war, Le Chambon became one of only two places in the world to be honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among Nations.

Just why and how Le Chambon and its outlying villages came to save so many people has never fully been told. With unprecedented access to newly opened archives in France, Britain, and Germany, along with interviews documenting the testimony of surviving villagers, Caroline Moorehead paints an inspiring portrait of courage and determination: of what was accomplished when a small group of people banded together to oppose tyranny. 

A major contribution to the history of the Second World War, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Village of Secrets sets the record straight about the events in Chambon and pays tribute to a group of heroic individuals for whom saving others became more important than their own lives. (from the cover)

My Thoughts

This year is the 100th anniversary of World War I, the war in which Hitler fought and was awarded medals and wherein his commitment to anti-semitism began.  In 1919 he identified the goal of the German government was to remove the Jewish people altogether.  In World War II Hitler was a leader in this cause.

In Vichy France, despite the threat of punishment, even death; people and communities took it upon themselves to protect and aid those affected by Hitler's mandate.  Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France brings to light those efforts.  In the encampments of the foreign Jews, Moorehead reveals how nurses and attendants secretly brought in medicines and bits of food.  Farmers took in children whose parents had been taken to be incarcerated.  Villagers took children into their homes, put them in Christian schools, changed their names, protected them; all at great risk to themselves.  Despite interrogations and threats, there were those brave souls who put the needs of others before their own.

Village of Secrets is difficult to read.  Just as Schindler's List, The Diary of Anne Frank, and many more; Village of Secrets tells it like it was.  The internments, the cruelty, the starvation, the anguish, the dying...it's all here.  There is a lot of information and detail that could possibly lend itself to the addition of another book.  Certainly there were other communities that contributed to the safe protection of individuals on the SS hit list - Moorhead focuses on Vichy France.  Not to diminish the efforts of any who did the same, but to herald a recognition of this small area of France who defied the odds for the greater good.

An extensive bibliography supports Moorehead's story, including recently made available archives in France, Britain and Germany.  Moorehead's Village of Secrets is a complexity of characters, an examination of the human spirit, and a tribute to those who didn't falter despite overwhelming threat.  It's a spot of light in a world that was dark with inhumane treatment of a religious people who were persecuted for being themselves.  

To this day, World War II bears a strong impact.  History influences the present and the future.  There is still persecution. There are still wars.  Hatred is not an unknown quantity among man. That is why it is important to reveal and appreciate the efforts for good, the sacrifices, and the hope for a better nation and world.  Hopefully we can be as those in Vichy France should we ever find ourselves having to choose between what is right and our very lives. 

You can find VILLAGE OF SECRETS on Goodreads, and purchase links include Amazon, IndieBound, and Barnes & Noble. 

Meet the author: 

Caroline Moorehead is the New York Times bestselling author of A Train in Winterand Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. An acclaimed biographer of Martha Gellhorn, Bertrand Russell, and Lucie de la Tour du Pin, among others, Moorehead has also written for the Telegraph, the Times, and the Independent. She lives in London and Italy.

100 Perks of Cancer by Florence Strang and Susan Gonzalez

100 Perks of Having Cancer

plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It!

Authors:  Florence Strang (registered psychologist) and Susan Gonzalez (registered nurse)

Published:  August 2013

Publisher:  Basic Health Communications

Pages:  500
Includes Recommended Websites, Suggested Reading and Viewing, References and Index

ISBN:  9781591203568

Edition:  Trade Paperback

Genre/Category:  Self Help, Health, Cancer

Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by the authors and the publisher via JKS Communications.  Receipt thereof does not influence this review nor my opinion expressed here.  

While the authors recognize that cancer is certainly no laughing matter, both cancer survivors set out to remind readers that no matter how bad one's life circumstances may be, there are always reasons to smile - and steps that can be taken to improve one's health, outlook, and prognosis. Containing many healthy-living tips to promote healing of the body as well as healing the mind and soul. (Goodreads)

How often do you hear the words “healthy”, “happy” and “cancer” mentioned in the same sentence?  That is precisely what gives 100 Perks of Having Cancer (Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It) its unique character.  Its authors not only “talk the talk” of living a healthy lifestyle with a positive attitude on the cancer journey, they also continue to “walk the walk”.

Florence’s perks, which are a combination of inspirational and humorous anecdotes, have made her audiences laugh and cry.  Susan’s tips are sought after because of their educational content with a witty twist. Together they provide a valuable resource which will inspire and motivate their readers, while keeping them smiling. 

See more at the 100PerksofHavingCancer.com! (from JKS Communications)

My Thoughts:

Twenty-one years ago this August my father died of lung cancer.  My step-father has battled with prostate cancer.  An uncle with prostate cancer.  My sister-in-law's mother.  A dear friend with breast cancer which has now spread.  This friend has battled valiantly and cheerfully, beating all odds predicted.  I remember years ago, maybe twenty five or so, I didn't know anyone with cancer.  Now I have had and do have people close to me battling the disease so when the book 100 Perks of Having Cancer came to my attention, I really wanted to read it.

Both authors have at some point personally received the diagnosis of cancer.  Both are doing very well and through their collaborative efforts this book came into being.  It's just incredible! Their optimism, humour, experiences and knowledge is evident on each page as they share a perk of having cancer as a chapter heading, then delve further into therapies, nutrition, recipes, things to avoid, things to do and eat, and things to be aware of.  There's so much here!  I think, even for someone who is not personally fighting cancer, but who perhaps knows someone or is related to someone who is, this is a valuable resource.  100 Perks of Having Cancer offers support with each paragraph and insight as well.  If you want to know what your loved one is feeling, just read this book.  The best way to relate to someone is to understand them.

Take for example the Chapter Perk # 73 Cancer Brought Out the Family Resemblance to My Son.  

"Ever since the day Donovan was born, I've been hearing the same thing over and over again, "He looks JUST like his father." However, following my cancer treatments, people started to notice my resemblance to my handsome son.  Maybe it's the eyes?  Could it be the nose? No, it was definitely the hair!" (page 304)  There's a photo of the two of them with a crew-cut hairstyle.

She speaks of how she didn't mind when her hair fell out from the chemotherapy treatment (not all chemo drugs cause hair loss she tells the reader) but she was not comfortable going out in public until it began to grow back in again.  It was then that if she squinted her eyes just right she could see her resemblance to Demi Moore in the film G.I. Jane! 

"While being bald as a pumpkin has its perks, it is a joyous day when new hair starts to grow in.  Be patient, it will grow back." (page 305)

Following this experience Health Tip #73 talks about the benefits of pumpkins after which is a recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Soup which I just might give a try.  I still have a pumpkin left over from Halloween.  (yes, it's still good!)

Alas, there's a tip about sweets.  I have such a sweet tooth!!!   There's a short lesson on the function of the pancreas (remember one of these authors is an RN) and the liver.  After reading this I think I may be able to curb that appetite a bit better.  The authors included a list of ingredients that really are just synonyms for sugar like date sugar, lactose, barley malt, honey, maltodexrin, agave nectar, to name a few.  The reader is reminded that a healthy diet contains no artificial, chemical, "no-calorie" sweeteners.  

There's a lot to learn in the 500 pages of 100 Perks of Cancer and a lot of support as well.  I highly recommend this as a resource for anyone dealing with cancer in any form and for their loved ones as well.  "Whether you are a cancer warrior, a cancer survivor, or a cancer avoider, this book has something for you!" (quoted from the back cover)

 February 5th is World Cancer Awareness Day!

Listen to an interview with the authors:  http://100perksofhavingcancer.com/interviews-and-publications/

Author Links below:

Author Website
Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

IndieBound

Virtual Tour Page 

Review: Jungleland by Christopher Stewart

Jungleland
Author: Christopher Stewart
Published:
Publisher:
Edition:  ARC (advanced reader's copy)

Source:  borrowed

Deep inside “the little Amazon,” the jungles of Honduras’s Mosquito Coast—one of the largest, wildest, and most impenetrable stretches of tropical land in the world—lies the fabled city of Ciudad Blanca: the White City. For centuries, it has lured explorers, including Spanish conquistador Herman Cortes. Some intrepid souls got lost within its dense canopy; some disappeared. Others never made it out alive. Then, in 1939, an American explorer and spy named Theodore Morde claimed that he had located this El Dorado-like city. Yet before he revealed its location, Morde died under strange circumstances, giving credence to those who believe that the spirits of the Ciudad Blanca killed him.

Is this lost city real or only a tantalyzing myth? What secrets does the jungle hold? What continues to draw explorers into the unknown jungleland at such terrific risk? In this absorbing true-life thriller, journalist Christopher S. Stewart sets out to find answers—a white-knuckle adventure that combines Morde’s wild, enigmatic tale with Stewart’s own epic journey to find the truth about the White City.

My thoughts:

Every now and then I enjoy finding a good non-fiction book to read.  I prefer a book that isn't all bare facts but has a story to it like The Abyss, The End of Your Life Book Club (Will Schaeble - biography) to name a few, and now Jungleland.

Stewart's writing can make this tale seem more fiction than non-fiction but, word for word, he wrote a historic tale of love, travel, danger and determination that will find appeal with a broad audience.

Alternating between the story of famous explorer turned spy Theodore Morde and that of the author Christopher S. Stewart, Jungleland tells the tale of two intrepid explorers in two different time frames who both braved the jungles of South America in search of the infamous White City.

For Stewart Jungleland isn't so much about discovering lost treasures, but more about tracing Morde's steps to determine the reality of the White City.  Morde's journals are non-conclusive so, after much research and time, Stewart consults his wife, trying to explain the need for yet another "adventure."  He leaves her at home with their three year old daughter who turns four in his absence and flies to South America where he meets up with Chris and Pancho in the non-wrinkled blue shirt who will guide them through the impassible dense jungles.

War, civil unrest, snakes, monkeys keen on deterring the most determined, warlords, marauders and even the people native to the region can and often do pose obstacles in their paths. Practically eaten alive by mosquitos, sucked down deep into muddy swamps, and swept down rivers, they remained steadfast.  

Stewart got to know more of Morde in doing so.  It was almost an intimate knowledge, I imagine, as he walked in the footsteps of the great explorer of years before.  He discovered much, found plenty and left some things behind.

When little Sky nestled into her father Christopher's lap upon his return, she didn't pout over him missing her birthday.  Instead she asked, " So, Daddy, tell me what you did in the  jungle.  Did you find what you were looking for?" (p. 234 arc)  And, I believe he did.  He discovered that, unlike Morde, what he found was his love and longing for what he left at home.

****

Meet the Author:

photo credit:  GoodReads

Christopher S. Stewart is a writer and editor at the Wall Street Journal and author of Hunting the Tiger, book about Zeljko Arkan Raznatovic, the Serbian mobster and warlord at the center of the 1990s Balkan wars. Jungleland is his second book.

His work has also appeared in GQ, Harper's, the New York Times Magazine, New York, Paris Review, Wired, and other publications. Earlier, he served as deputy editor at the New York Observer and is a former contributing editor at Conde Nast Portfolio, where, among other things, he wrote about the Unification Church’s gun business and corruption in Iraq.

He lives with his family in New York.