Love in a Time of Hate: The Story of Magda and André Trocmé and the Village That Said No to the Nazis

Schott, a German journalist, covers the story of Le Chambon, a French village that harbored Jews during World War II, through a biography of village pastor André Trocmé and teacher and social worker Magda Trocmé. The story of Le Chambon is inspiring, but this work is uneven in its treatment of the subjects’ lives: more than half the book is dedicated to their childhoods and early marriage years, often providing great detail and psychological insights, while the years of World War II and their actions in sheltering refugee Jews are treated hastily and with vague generalities rather than insight into their specific motivations. Additionally, Magda, a fascinating personality, is allowed to fade into the background as a generic wifely figure rather than being treated as an active hero in her own right. However, the book’s account of European lives in the early 20th century will appeal to readers, as will the additional details of the Trocmés’ religious faith and the haven they helped build at Le Chambon, which deserves to be widely recognized. (June)