The Memoirs of André Trocmé: The Pastor Who Rescued Jews

A unique addition to the literature of ethical action during the Holocaust. . . . Trocmé's story, available in English here for the first time, teaches us how to act when we are sure of nothing. --Kirkus Reviews

André Trocmé is famous for his role in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis as pastor of the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, a story celebrated in literature and film. But who was the man behind the legend, and the how did he become an international hero and uncompromising advocate of nonviolent resistance? Appearing in English for the first time, his private memoirs give a colorful and honest account of a person determined to stay true to his faith and convictions, who despite his quirks was ready to stand his ground when world history came knocking.

Written for his children in the 1950s and first published in French in 2020, these memoirs trace André Trocmé's extraordinary life: a bourgeois childhood; teenage years as a World War I refugee; studies abroad in New York City, where he met his future wife, Magda, and tutored the Rockefeller children; military service in Algeria, which cemented his pacifist stance; postings as a pastor in depressed areas of France; resisting fascism and hiding Jews in Le Chambon; a brief imprisonment and a stint underground; and globetrotting leadership in the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. Trocmé also reveals the impact of personal tragedies: the untimely death of his mother in a car accident for which his father was responsible and, years later, his teenage son's suicide.

This detailed first-person account from an eyewitness to pivotal moments in history will be of interest not just to scholars of the Holocaust, World War II, and domestic resistance to fascism, but also to all people who seek to follow their conscience and the teachings of their faith in trying times.

People who enjoyed Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, A Good Place to Hide, We Only Know Men, and the documentary, Weapons of the Spirit, will appreciate reading the story in Trocmé's own words.

André Trocmé (1901-1971) is best known for his role in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis during World War II, for which he and his wife, Magda Trocmé, were named "Righteous among the Nations" by the Holocaust remembrance center Yad Vashem. As Protestant pastor of the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, he organized a rescue network to hide Jewish refugees. His bold deeds were rooted in his understanding of Jesus' way of nonviolence and his work as a pastor. After World War II, André Trocmé became a leading voice for pacifism and reconciliation, working for conflict resolution in Algeria and Morocco and serving as European secretary of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation for twelve years. He wrote two books, published in English as The Politics of Repentance and Jesus and the Nonviolent Revolution.

Patrick Cabanel, a professor at École Pratique des Hautes Études, is a French historian specializing in the history of religious minorities and French resistance to the Holocaust.

Patrick Henry is professor emeritus of philosophy and literature at Whitman College. He is the author of five books.