Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved and Died in the 1940s

by Anne Sebba

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WINNER OF THE FRANCO-BRITISH SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2016

June, 1940. German troops enter Paris and hoist the swastika over the Arc de Triomphe. The dark days of Occupation begin.
How would you have survived? By collaborating with the Nazis, or risking the lives of you and your loved ones to resist?

The women of Paris faced this dilemma every day - whether choosing between rations and the black market, or travelling on the Metro, where a German soldier had priority for a seat. Between the extremes of defiance and collusion was a vast moral grey area which all Parisiennes had to navigate in order to survive.

Anne Sebba has sought out and interviewed scores of women, and brings us their unforgettable testimonies. Her fascinating cast includes both native Parisiennes and temporary residents: American women and Nazi wives; spies, mothers, mistresses, artists, fashion designers and aristocrats. The result is an enthralling account of life during the Second World War and in the years of recovery and recrimination that followed the Liberation of Paris in 1944. It is a story of fear, deprivation and secrets - and, as ever in the French capital, glamour and determination.

  • ISBN10 1780226616
  • ISBN13 9781780226613
  • Publish Date 8 June 2017 (first published 14 July 2016)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country GB
  • Publisher Orion Publishing Co
  • Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
  • Pages 496
  • Language English