Children of the Resistance
The Young Liberators. By Nora Lloyd. (Muller. 7$. 6d.) THOUGH intended for "older boys and girls," this book can make quite exciting reading for the better sort of grown-ups. It is set in the French Alps, in August, 1944, and tells of the part played by a young Anglo-French family in the liberation of their home town. It may well look as though the story had been contrived so as to give a condensed view of all the striking aspects of Maquis fighting and life in occupied countries. Nevertheless, it is all con- vincing, and a true picture of French Resistance. That the author knows France very well is obvious to the specialist, be it only from the importance given to the food question. The chief heroes of the story are five children aged about ten to fifteen, and I think the author has made a very good jrsb of bringing herself up (not down) to the level of a child's vision of things. Those "Young Liberators," you feel, are very lucky, dramatic though circumstances may be, for they are enjoying what children will always yearn after, the opportunity to do things, and to do them earnestly, whole-heartedly, acting on their own initiative and responsibility. And so it is a glorious adventure for them to have a real, active part to play in a sort of guerrilla warfare that calls for much personal enterprise and resourcefulness. The young heroes are individualised enough to be lifelike. Thus French Michel, a nervous type, is occasionally infuriated by the stolid calm of his half-English cousin Henry. But, of course, they are all the staunchest of friends and allies. And though acting such a manly part, they remain real children, flinching for a moment when they first realise that their game has became a hard, dangerous reality, feeling nothing but excitement and a huge sense of pride once they have got into action, haunted by the excruciating fear of being "left out," a cruel experience for any child, especially in such circumstances. Their adventures, thrilling enough in themselves, gain additional attraction from being viewed through children's
Previous page
