Pierre Turcotte Editor is proud to announce the publication Memoirs of a WWII Soldier — A Journey of Hope and Survival by Quebec writer Danielle Dufresne, translated from the French by Geneviève Fortin-Ratté in collaboration with Alexandra Hillinger.
In April 1942, when the 18-year-old volunteer soldier Émilien Dufresne set sail from Halifax, Canada to cross over to England, the Battle of the Atlantic raged on. The 72 ships had to form convoys to face the sea infested by the dreaded German U-boat submarines. 1943, The Overlord project – the Normandy landings – occupied all the training and learning of young Émilien, who became increasingly aware of the danger that awaited him and his companions. Covered in water up to his shoulders, rifle raised high, his life hung by a thread. He advanced bravely and vigilantly, avoiding underwater mines, while hundreds of his comrades swirled around him. On the night of June 6-7, 1944, following the success of his mission on the Normandy coast in France, he was captured by the Germans. The relentless pace of forced labor began. What the Allies destroyed during the day had to be rebuilt at night. A long, painful, and incomprehensible march through bombarded Germany and Poland commenced. A convoy of thousands of wounded who lacked care and sustenance had to beware of fierce guards and too often helplessly witness the execution of their fellow sufferers. The more the bombardments intensified, the more Émilien felt the hope of victory that had kept him alive for nearly four years. On April 9, 1945, the Americans had arrived; they liberated the camp. Ten long months of wondering every day – Is today the last day? Émilien celebrated life and liberation.
Danielle Dufresne is a woman with a free-spirit. Throughout her career she has worked in many different regions of the province of Québec but now resides in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Her 15-year journey as an adventure guide in the Andes, her academic background in history as well as her fondness for real-life stories has all marked her literary work and deeply influenced her writing. For 25 years Danielle worked as a manager for Arts and Culture in municipalities where she contributed to the promotion of cultural productions for all audiences. Danielle now works as a consultant and provides support and advice for social economy businesses to start-up and for consolidation.
You can buy the digital book in EPUB format in our store for €9.99.
The paperback format is on sale on Amazon sites.
DUFRESNE, Danielle. Memoirs of a WWII Soldier — A Journey of Hope and Survival. Montreal: Pierre Turcotte Editor, 2024, 119 p.
