Smorgasbord Bookshelf – New Book on the Shelves – #Historical #WW2 – The Peaceful Village by Paulette Mahurin

Delighted to share the news of the latest book by Paulette Mahurin set in WW2 – The Peaceful Village

About the book

During the German occupation of France, nestled in the lush, verdant countryside in the Haute-Vienne department of central France was the peaceful village of Oradour-sur-Glane. It was a community where villagers woke to the medley of nature’s songs: roosters crowing, birds chirping, cats purring, and cows shuffling out to pasture. The people who lived there loved the tranquil nature of their beautiful home, a tranquility that existed year-round. Even with the German occupation and Oradour-sur-Glane being incorporated as part of Vichy France, Oradour – the village with cafés, shops, and a commuter tram to Limoges – remained relatively untouched by the stress of the occupation.
While Oradour enjoyed the lack of German presence, twenty-two kilometers to the northwest in Limoges, the Germans were reacting with increasing cruelty to organized attacks on their soldiers by the armed resistance organization Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP). Headed by Georges Guingouin, the Limoges FTP was considered the most effective of the French Resistance groups. Guingouin’s missions fueled the German military to kill and incarcerate in concentration camps anyone perceived as supporters or sympathizers of the Resistance.

Up until the middle of 1944, the German anti-partisan actions in France never rose to the level of brutality or number of civilian casualties that had occurred in eastern Europe. A little before the Allies landed in Normandy, that changed, when German officers stationed on the Eastern Front were transferred to France. It was then that FTP’s increasing efforts to disrupt German communications and supply lines was met with disproportionate counter attacks, involving civilians. Guingouin’s response was to target German officers. When Guingouin set his sights on two particular German officers, all hell broke loose.

Based on actual events as told by survivors, The Peaceful Village is the story of the unfolding of the events that led up to one of the biggest World War II massacres on French soil. But it is not simply a story of Nazi brutality and the futility of war, it is a story of love. The love of family. The love of neighbor. The love of country. Compassion and courage burn from the pages as the villagers’ stories come alive. Written by the international bestselling author of The Seven Year Dress, Paulette Mahurin, this book is an homage to the villagers who lived and loved in Oradour-sur-Glane.

One of the early reviews for the book

Marina Osipova 5.0 out of 5 stars Intense and unforgettable. Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022

The Peaceful Village is a powerful story of tragedy and love that no atrocities can destroy.

Opening the story with a poetical air, the author doesn’t let the reader to enjoy the seemingly calm course of life in a beautiful village in France for very long. The narrative transfers the reader into the world of ruthless war between two opposing camps—the lovable villagers of Oradour and Maquisards, the partisans against the sinister occupants.

Masterfully crafted scenes of peaceful family life, love, and camaraderie tugged at this reader’s heart; the acts of the unparalleled brutality made it stop at times. The imagery was so vivid, I couldn’t stop admiring the author’s ability to feel the characters and the place where the events unfold as though she lived there and met those people.

I’m not going to give away any details here. Read this book, a work of historical fiction at its best.

I was enthralled by this tale from the beginning to the end. Intense and unforgettable. And it’s amazing how timely this novel, based on the actual events, which happened 78 years ago, sounds nowadays. A strong reminder of the heinous crimes that mustn’t be forgotten or forgiven. Highly recommended 

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

Also by Paulette Mahurin

Profits from Pauline’s books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – follow Paulette : Goodreads – Blog: The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap on WordPress – Twitter: @MahurinPaulette

About Paulette Mahurin

Paulette Mahurin is an international best selling literary fiction and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.

Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the bestseller lists for literary fiction and historical fiction on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in the summer of 2018 also to rave reviews.

Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books… thanks Sally.

 

Thank you for dropping in today and it would be great if you could share the news of Paulette’s new book. Thanks Sally.