Culture

Author: M. K. Joseph
Publisher: HarperCollins
(4.5/5)

Set during the Allied liberation of Normandy in World War II, the story follows a British sergeant, Saul, who stumbles upon a French girl, Belle, in a small country village. Belle is about to be murdered by the French Resistance for conspiring with the Germans. The Resistance accuses her of causing the deaths of several of their members by betraying them to the Gestapo through providing information to her SS lover. Although he saves her from being taken away, Saul knows that he can only protect Belle for so long before he is ordered to move on, and the Resistance is prepared to wait. Saul is therefore left with the decision as to what will happen to Belle.
Although this is a love story, it is a love story within a war zone, and the pressure and savagery of war are never far away. While many of Saul’s actions may be judged harshly in a normal world, the author constantly reminds us that these events are unfolding in a world where reality has been displaced. There will be no consequence for his actions. The tragedy for Belle is that for her the war is over and her actions have caught up with her. 
Originally published in 1976, the story is beautifully written, although some translations for the French could have been useful. The re-release of this story should allow a new generation of readers to grapple with the realities of life in a warzone, where every day life must go on but the choices we make may have far-reaching and fatal consequences.