An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D´Albert-Lake
Judy Barrett Litoff (Ed.)
This fascinating book tells the remarkable story of an ordinary American woman’s heroism in the French Resistance. Virginia Roush fell in love with Philippe d’Albert-Lake during a visit to France in 1936; they married soon after. In 1943, they both joined the Resistance, where Virginia put her life in jeopardy as she sheltered downed airmen and later survived a Nazi prison camp. After the war, she stayed in France with Philippe, and was awarded the Légion d’Honneur and the Medal of Honor. She died in 1997.
Judy Barrett Litoff brings together two rare documents—Virginia’s diary of wartime France until her capture in 1944 and her prison memoir written immediately after the war. Masterfully edited, they convey the compassion and toughness of a nearly forgotten heroine as they provide an invaluable record of the workings of the Resistance by one of the very few American women who participated in it.
“An indelible portrait of extraordinary strength of character . . . [D’Albert-Lake] is sombre, reflective, and attentive to every detail.”—The New Yorker
“A sharply etched and moving story of love, companionship, commitment, and sacrifice. . . . This beautifully edited diary and memoir throw an original light on the French Resistance.”—Robert Gildea, author of Marianne in Chains: In Search of the German Occupation, 1940-1945
“At once a stunning self-portrait and dramatic narrative of a valorous young American woman . . . an exciting and gripping story, one of the best of the many wartime tales.” —Walter Cronkite
“An enthralling tale which brims with brave airmen and plucky heroines.”—David Kirby, St. Petersburg Times
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About Judy Barrett Litoff (Ed.)
Reviews for An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D´Albert-Lake
-David Hume Kennerly Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography in Vietnam "[Litoff] is the preeminent authroity on the experiences of ordinary women in World War II, garnered through the letters they wrote to their husbands and fathers abroad." -Rhode Island Monthly "These pages capture the compassion and toughness of a nearly forgotten heroine as they provide an invaluable record of the workings of the French Resistance by one of the very few American women who participated in it." -Providence Sunday Journal "This is at once a stunning self-portrait and dramatic narrative of a valorous young American woman who in World War II stayed in France to fight alongside her French husband in the French resistance. Her own dramatic story is testimony to her love, heroism and courage. It is an exciting and gripping story, one of the best of the many wartime tales."
-Walter Cronkite "...A tale of quiet heroism." -Journal of Military History "...contains Virginia's diary of wartime France, kept until her capture, and her prison memoir, written soon after she was freed by the Allies." -St. Petersburg Times