The Normandy Diary of Marie-Louise Osmont : 1940-1944

Book excerpt: In this extraordinary diary, Marie-Louise Osmont describes in riveting detail what life was like from the moment six German soldiers arrived at the door of her chateau in 1940, through the occupation of her home and country by both Axis and Allied troops. She shows us what the occupation and invasion of Normandy was like for those whose homeland became a momentous battlefield that changed the course of World War II. With gripping immediacy, Madame Osmont chronicles the horror and banality of war acted out against the background of everyday rural life. Terrifying midnight raids are followed by mornings of radiant beauty; the agony of a shrapnel wound is contrasted with the sheer luxury of a warm bath; the scent of rose bushes on a summer evening gives way to the acrid stench of anti-aircraft guns; battle-hardened soldiers show her photographs of their children, and weep. Unearthed by a film producer in search of a voice representing the French civilians who lived through the Allied invasion, Madame Osmont's diary - the centerpiece of a documentary on The Discovery Channel - is a powerful and moving contribution to the history of this century.