Ninette Dreyfus was a member of one of France’s most prominent Jewish families – a cousin to Albert Einstein and family friend to Colette. But when the Second World War broke out and the Germans occupied Paris, the fall was dramatic. Realising that her fate would be transformed, the teenager soon found herself fleeing the capital for the South, only to fall prey to the Vichy regime. In fear for her life at the hands of the Nazis and their French collaborators, she became somebody else.
The book Ninette’s War by John Jay has been woven together from Ninette’s diaries and interviews. It recounts the frailty of national and personal unity through the eyes of a young woman, in compelling and unforgettable detail.
John Jay will be speaking in the English Library about his book at 6pm on 7th November. Attendance is expected to be high and places limited so you must contact the chaplain if you wish to attend.
