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.

“A unique addition to the literature of ethical action during the Holocaust . . . these memoirs tell a story of spiritual growth, framed in the landscapes of world war and social upheaval. . . . With the advent of the Second World War, Trocmé reflects on the nature of moral choice. ‘We do not decide to be nonviolent or truthful in advance as if we had an outline, a moral blueprint to follow automatically. Events appear almost always as a series of little, unexpected problems we must solve one at a time. We choose between two alternatives, one of which, in the final analysis, appears closer than the other to the laws of Jesus Christ. In that moment, one is sure of nothing.’ Trocmé’s story, available in English here for the first time, teaches us how to act when we are sure of nothing.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A brilliant critical edition of the unpublished memoirs of Trocmé’s. . . . The text is remarkably honest and transparent, perhaps to the distress of descendants of some of the actors. His descriptions of the Rockefeller family, of American “high society,” as well as of French Protestants provide fascinating insight. . . . The narrative of the ministry in the industrial north of France provides an intimate view of the difficulties of industrial workers. . . .  The introduction and epilogue by Cabanel frame the volume beautifully, and are important contributions to French social history and the study of French Protestantism.” —David Bundy, Religious Studies Review

Trocmé's memoir is at once both dense and lively reading. . . . His gracious, expansive voice and willingness to live out his deep commitment to nonviolence offer modern audiences committed to human dignity a three-dimensional mentor for our own troubled times. —Englewood Review of Books

While he is remembered for his actions during the Holocaust, Trocmé’s own memoirs treat his activities in organizing the community to shelter Jews as simply one task among many in his life of faithful obedience. . . . This ordinary life is a remarkably faithful life, and that is the point. Who will be faithful in crisis, a time when one must make difficult and dangerous decisions that imperil one’s own life? As Trocmé realized, he could do nothing other than what he did, by virtue of having spent a life obeying God’s call. —Mere Orthodoxy

The great gift of this book is to place the narrative of the war within the whole of Trocmé’s life . . . showing the larger context. . . . Trocmé shows the varied elements that led him to become a pastor and a pacifist – but he also details the tragedies that rocked his faith and what held it together afterwards. This is a compelling read. Highly recommended. —Canadian Mennonite

A story of contrasts and convulsions . . . Trocme's memoir is a detailed account of one man’s response to the particular challenges he faced as his world fell into war. But it also speaks to how Christians in other times and places should respond to the challenges they face. “From crisis to crisis, the political pendulum swings, from right to left, from left to right,” he wrote. “The extremists always lead the way. They tear up the streets and smash the shop windows. The ‘politically neutral’ always close their eyes and ‘wait for it to pass.’ They get out while the getting is good. Meanwhile, the nonviolent, never neutral, never violent, maintain contact with their friends and enemies, correct falsehoods and join forces with all those fighting for justice, truth and peace.” —Baptist News Global

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. Mary Anne O’Neil is professor emerita of French, Spanish, and world literature at Whitman College.