The Secret Orphanage: Josselsohn to Discuss Her New Book at Scarsdale Library

The following was submitted by Scarsdale author Barbara Josselsohn. She will discuss her latest book, The Secret Orphanage, at Scarsdale Library on Monday September 15 at 7 pm and you're invited to attend. Sign up here.

It was 1942, and France was a divided country—the north under Nazi occupation and the south under the control of the corrupt, Nazi-sympathizing Vichy government. Before long, the Nazis would control the entire country. And in a tiny village tucked away in the mountains of southern France, a charismatic and visionary pastor by the name of Andre Trocmé wrestled with what to do.

Trocmé was horrified by the Nazis and deeply committed to the Resistance. But at the same time, he was personally bound to nonviolence. The Resistance included legions of brave fighters transporting grenades or hiding in the woods, poised to use small arms to attack the Nazi soldiers and their communications and transportation systems. Where did that leave Trocmé? How could he reconcile his convictions with the need to stop the Nazi onslaught against the Jewish people? Was there a way to thwart the Nazis—using peace as a weapon?

Initially he thought up ruses and used obfuscation, refusing to succumb to Nazi intimidation. But then – in partnership with his wife, Magda; cousin, Daniel; and colleague, Edouard – he engaged the entire community in an elaborate and dangerous plan that would eventually save more than 3,000 Jewish people, mostly children, from Nazi capture.

I first learned about Trocmé during the summer of 2024, when my husband and I, along with my sister and brother-in-law, took a bucket-list trip to southern France. Aboard a steam train now used to transport bikers, hikers, and tourists, traveling amid sparkling gorges, rocky cliffs, and abandoned train stations, we listened as our local guide retold the story of this remarkable village.

Our trip continued southward in the direction of Avignon, but I couldn’t get this visionary pastor and his brave followers out of my mind. Back home, I would later find out that this community, known as Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, and its extraordinary efforts to save Jewish lives, has been the subject of many articles, books, and studies. The residents of the town, along with those of neighboring villages, were collectively recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1990.

I was moved by what I learned. And that’s when my own work began. As a novelist, I was inspired to re-interpret this singular historical phenomenon into fiction. After all, fiction is at its best when it reveals truths about humanity. But how would I make such a transformation? How would I make this event… into a story?

Please join me on Monday, September 15th at 7pm at the Scarsdale Library, along with Jackie Friedland, USA Today bestselling author and a fellow Scarsdale resident. We are both novelists who plumb history for inspiration. I hope you’ll come hear the stories behind our books – and be part of a discussion of history, fiction, and the exceptional individuals from long ago who continue to warrant our attention.

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