The Last of the Human Freedoms

(Paperback)

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Auschwitz survivor and philosopher Victor Frankl wrote: Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. While on one level a collection of moving personal histories of Kiwi airmen saved by the Resistance during World War Two, on another it tells of significant and life-changing choices made in times of fear, desperation and hardship . When Kiwi airman John Sanderson was shot down over Laines-aux-Bois in May 1944, an ordinary French family was asked to shelter the wounded airman. They chose to help. Tragically, a local doctor called in to treat his wounds made a different choice, betraying them to the Gestapo. While Yvette Patris was eventually released, her husband Emile was transported, and died in Dachau concentration camp. Sanderson survived the war and began a correspondence with Yvette Patris, which lasted for many years, establishing a contact with the author's family which continues today. Based on letters, journals, military records and personal accounts, this inspiring and very different book examines what it means to be human when everything we value, including our liberty, is taken away. While primarily about individual lives and personal choices, this absorbing, illustrated account presents a poignant and compelling view of our humanity, and our history.

Author Bio

Keren Chiaroni lectures in French at Victoria University, and is a researcher and co-editor for the International World Scenography Project. Theatre, dance and design for performance are key interests, but she is also passionate about strengthening connections between France and New Zealand, in both education and the arts. This book aims to bring to life some of the moments in history that France and New Zealand share, while exploring the dilemmas we all face, irrespective of language and culture.