Overview

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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9780823225811

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Something broke inside me. I knew somehow that it was all over.... Sweat started in my armpits; my scalp tingled; I had no choice but to stand there in the center of the dusty road, grip my [bicycle] handle bars, and wait. - Virginia d'Albert-Lake

[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 * 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 I've met and photographed scores of memorable and important people in my time, but few hold a candle to Virginia d'Albert-Lake. Her work as an American woman in the French Resistance saving American airmen's lives led to her winning France's highest decoration, the Legion d'Honneur. But the greatest honor for her was having the love of her husband Phillippe d'Albert-Lake, who was the reason she stayed in France when she could have retreated to the safety of the United States as World War II loomed on the horizon. This is an extraordinary story to be shared with friends, family, and particularly your children, as an example of how a life can be lived with grace, humor, and heroism. -- -David Hume Kennerly * Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography in Vietnam * ...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 * . . .A tale of quiet heroism. * -Journal of Military History * An enthralling tale which brims with brave airmen and plucky heroines... * -St. Petersburg Times * 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 * ...an indelible portrait of extraordinary strength of character...[D'Albert-Lake] is sombre, reflective, and attentive to every detail. * -The New Yorker * . . . [A] depiction of the emotional and ideological conflicts one faces in time of war and imprisonment. * -The History Teacher *

Author Information

Judy Barrett Litoff's books include We’re in This War Too: World War II Letters from American Women in Uniform and, from Fordham, Fighting Fascism in Europe: The World War II Letters of an American Veteran of the Spanish Civil War. She is Professor of History at Bryant University.

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