Women in wartime: New book documents difficult line tread by females in WWII Paris
A FEMINISED city is how British author, lecturer and journalist, Anne Sebba, describes Paris during the years spanning 1939-1949. Her fascinating book, Les Parisiennes, shines a spotlight on women living in the city of light during the war and the subsequent liberation.
It was women, more than men, who came face to face with the German conquerors on a daily basis. With the males fighting on the front, the women would have travelled alongside the enemy on the Metro — where German soldiers had priority over seats. How did these women react to their oppressors? What made them collaborate or resist? And did they have any choice? These are the questions that spurred Sebba on to write her book, researching the lives of about forty women, from actresses and prostitutes to teachers, writers and housewives.
