Welcome to Winter in France, a very special celebration of the courage of the French people during WWII. I’m thrilled to partner with Melanie Dobson and Sarah Sundin throughout this fun and informative week. Oh, and did I mention there will be giveaways and goodies?
Before we get to all of that, let me share with you a true story about a very famous man and his very special daughter.
You cannot speak of WWII in France without some mention of Charles de Gaulle coming up. He was a WWI veteran who was held as a prisoner of war for three months. In the interwar period, he fought for better defenses against German invasion. And throughout the course of WWII, he worked in England and in Algiers, leading the Free French resistance movement and encouraging his people via radio broadcasts.
The private man was as committed to his family as the public man was to his country. No where was that plainer than in his relationship with his daughter, Anne. His youngest daughter, she was born on January 1, 1928. Within a few months, the de Gaulle’s realized there was something wrong with Anne, and she was soon diagnosed with Down syndrome.
In those days, most children with Down syndrome (DS) were sent to institutions to live out greatly shortened lives. They were tucked away where their families wouldn’t have to think about them or deal with their disabilities and medical conditions.
The de Gaulle’s were different. From the beginning, they refused to institutionalize their daughter. They worked so show Anne that they loved her just as much as her brother and sister. Charles was especially affectionate with her. He said, “God has given her to us. We must take responsibility for her, wherever she is and whatever she will be.”
Despite all that he had to do and how often he had to be gone, he doted on Anne. He called all of the time. Once when she had surgery while he was gone, he telephoned constantly to check up on how she was doing and to assure himself that she wasn’t in too much pain. In return, Anne adored him.
They went everywhere with her and never tried to hide her from the world. This stood in such stark contrast to the way the Nazis treated people living with DS. Thousands were rounded up and taken to so-called health facilities where they were put to death. This would have been Anne’s fate had the de Gaulle family not escaped to England during the war. She would have been deemed unfit and unworthy by the German regime, would have been ripped from a loving family, and killed because she had an extra chromosome.
Like most people with DS at the time, Anne died very young, when she was only twenty. Charles was grief-stricken. The de Gaulle’s channeled their grief and purchased a chateau not far from Paris. A few months after Anne’s death, the Foundation Anne-de-Gaulle began taking in intellectually disabled girls and continues to operate to this day.
Charles once said, “Without Anne, I could never perhaps have done what I did. She gave me the heart and the inspiration.”
In the same way that Anne inspired Charles, Claire inspired Nellie and Jean-Paul in A Picture of Hope. What the Nazis deemed unworthy of saving, they deemed worthy of life and love, and they fought with everything they had to preserve that for Claire.
A Picture of Hope is the story of an American photojournalist and a French resistance fighter. When Nellie stumbles behind enemy lines, she enlists Jean-Paul to find her way back to the American forces. Along the way they encounter a horrific tragedy that leaves a young girl with Down syndrome an orphan. Together, they race across France to save Claire from the unthinkable fate that awaits her if she falls into Nazi hands.
Author Heidi Chiavaroli says about A Picture of Hope, “Liz Tolsma uses the gritty setting of Nazi-occupied France to weave a compassionate tale of hope that illuminates the true worth and dignity of every human.”
It is truly my pleasure to partner with Sarah Sundin and Melanie Dobson to introduce you to these amazing books via this Winter in France celebration and take you on a journey through France in stories all inspired by true events.
On January 29 at noon Central time, we will be giving away a deluxe French food basket from iGourmet along with multiple copies of our books. To register for the Winter in France Grand Prize giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog, Sarah Sundin’s blog, and Melanie Dobson’s blog. Then submit your name on the Rafflecopter form here.
For more details about the Winter in France giveaway, please visit winterinfrance.com.
That’s really interesting information about Charles.
I love WWII books. This is a fun giveaway
Thanks
I was fascinated to find that out. So glad you’re enjoying this!
Ms. Tolsma, thank you so much for hosting the author chat! I cannot wait to read your book. My son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth and is the most amazing person I know. He is funny, smart, handsome, and every other wonderful adjective! Thank you for writing a book that has a character with DS. It is not often that I read stories about characters that have DS or other special needs. I had no idea about Charles de Gaulle’s daughter! I cannot imagine back in that day how people with intellectual disabilities lived. How amazing that they didn’t shut her away in an institution but loved her as she deserved to be loved. I am definitely going to have to do some research now! Thank you again for sharing your writing talents with us!
I hope you enjoy the book. I have a daughter with microcephaly, so I am very familiar with children with ID. I didn’t get the chance to tell the story, but the child the hero and heroine were supposed to meet was supposed to be Jewish. That’s how I pitched the story to the publisher. But then I wrote the scene where they met Claire, and I looked in her face and saw that she had DS. That changed everything for me. The story exploded from there. My aim became to show that all people are worthy of life and of love and they all have something meaningful to contribute to society. God bless you and your son. And I agree that it was amazing that the de Gaulle’s didn’t institutionalize Anne.
That’s fascinating about Charles de Gaulle’s family. I’d never heard about his daughter or the foundation they started.
I didn’t know that either until I did the research for this book. Makes me really look up to him.
This is such a fantastic collaboration. I love all the historical knowledge shared both in the photos and in the stories created. There is so much rich history to be gleaned and I love how you have brought it to life. I have not heard of Charles before and am more intrigued by this story. This is why I love historical fiction.
Wow, I had never heard about Charles de Gaulle before. What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing it! 🙂
Looks great! Thank you for the opportunity to win!
I have read all your earlier WWII books as well as some other related non-fiction and fiction set during that time period. Thank you for sharing the interesting family information about the De Gaulle family – I had not come across that before.
I love this theme of a Winter in France, Liz! So fun the three of you are teaming together with such lovely books!
I love seeing books about DS children!! All people deserve to live, even those with disabilities!!! Thnx for spotlighting that in your book!!!
I would love to read A Picture of Hope.
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This book sounds intriguing and I look forward to reading it.
I cant wait to read your book! It sounds incredible!!
All 3 books look amazing! I can’t wait to read them!
Liz, I’m looking forward to reading A Picture of Hope! WWII era novels are so fascinating.
This book looks so interesting! I am anxious to read it. Thank you for sharing about Ann de Gaulle and her family.
This sounds like a wonderful book! Would love to read it! Thank you for offering this giveaway!!
fun collaboration
This is very interesting & touching background information on your inspiration for your novel. The Foundation was a tangible way for Charles De Gaulle to honor his beloved daughter Anne & help so many other children. I’m not sure if I knew de Gualle was a POW. Two of my Great Uncles were Pows captured after the Battle of the Bulge. One escaped & one was freed. Can’t wait to read your book! Thanks for your participation in the video this morning!
Looking forward to reading the books. The sound really good.
I watched the video today…thoroughly enjoyed the Facebook talk!
What a beautiful story of Charles de Gaulle and his daughter, Anne.
This is very interesting to learn about the de Gaulle family. It is appalling and sad how the Germans treated people. Your book sounds like a fantastic read. Thank you for doing this giveaway.
I look forward to reading your new novel about the World War Two years. I always find novels interesting and also like to read the personal experiences our military men and women write about. I learn things I was not aware of even though I remember many things about that war.
Thank you for the back story and information about Anne de Gaulle. This novel looks amazing!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story about de Gaulle. History is so endlessly fascinating and there is always something new to learn. I love historical fiction for the way it really immerses you in a time and place.
What an amazing story! It’s a beautiful reminder to me, the love this father, Charles, had for his (what the world deems “imperfect”) daughter, Anne. How much God loves us, his imperfect children. I loved reading about The de Gaulle. And will most definitely be adding your book to my must read list!
I enjoyed learning a bit about deGaulle and his inspiration for your book. It sounds like something I would love to read.
I must admit: I totally judged your new book A Picture of Hope by its cover, and it was love at first sight! I cannot wait to dive into the story of how an American photojournalist and a French resistance fighter are woven together to save a sweet Down syndrome orphan! I absolutely loved participating in the Winter In France launch yesterday online, and I’m counting down the days until next Saturday’s Facebook live follow up!
Love historical fiction! Thanks.
That is a very touching story that I didn’t know about. I’m always amazed and impressed at the courage shown by families of special needs children who didn’t send them away or act ashamed of them. It was so much more common in history for people to hide anything “imperfect”. I’m also glad we now live in a time where the special needs population has rights and are given a chance to live the best they can. There are still cases when they don’t get the treatment they should, but it’s so much better than the past.
I was touched by the story of compassion and love that Charles de Gaulle had for his very special daughter Anne. I have added your book, A Picture of Hope, to my want to read list. As the librarian at my church, I will definitely be adding this book to the library collection. Our library has several of your books in our collection.
Your book sounds really good! Looking forward to reading it!
that was so interesting about Charles de Gaulle and his daughter with Down syndrome
Thank you for sharing this story. I really enjoy your books. I really like reading stories about history because they make it personal.
Fantastic cover! I only recently found how much I love this time period. Now I can’t get enough! Thanks for the chance to feed my habit!
Your book sounds so interesting!! I have read other books about the Nazis’ treatment of the disabled and am always discouraged and angered by their arrogance and lack of compassion!! I am always remembered that “but for the grace of God go I.” I look forward to reading your book!!
A fascinating story! This looks to be a fabulously well-researched read. What a great team the three of you make!
Hello! I purchased Picture of Hope, and the book is every bit as well-written, gripping, and compassionate as the author’s other WW2 books that I have read. The research done for each new book is evident…Picture of Hope’s unspeakable tragedy that thrusts an orphaned special needs girl into the main character’s arms is a truth-based tale I will not forget. I am very grateful to Liz Tolsma for her wonderful stories that show the love of Jesus for us. He is our rock, through all trouble.
Good to hear from you, Connie. I hope all is well with you and your beautiful family!
I enjoyed reading this about the de Gaulles…thank you for sharing it and for having this giveaway!
Just reading the blog post is a history lesson! The book sounds so very interesting! I have to catch up on the video from Saturday!
I can’t wait to read your book! I’ve never encountered a book that had to do with DS in ww2. Thankyou so much!
Your post was so informative and really inspires me to learn more about the man, Charles de Gaulle.
That is such a lovely story! I’m so glad they chose to love their daughter rather than send her away just because she had Down Syndrome. I often think people with disabilities can teach us so very much.
Looking forward to this book!
This is so neat! I’ve never heard about the de Gaulle family before.
This is a really interesting story about Charles de Gaulle’s relationship with his daughter. Thanks for sharing it with us. I’ve read several of your past books and have always enjoyed them. I’m looking forward to reading A Picture of Hope.
Liz, I’m so eager to read A Picture of Hope. Sounds intriguing and touching. And thank you for sharing about the DeGaulle family. I had never heard a sliver about their daughter and later Foundation! Sad that info isn’t proclaimed as much as his war-time work.
This book sounds amazing! Nellie and Jean-Paul are strong characters who risk their own lives to save a child in danger. The plot is compelling but the characters are what make me want to read this book.
This book sounds amazing and so looking forward to reading all three books offered by you, Sarah and Melanie! Never knew that about Charles de Gaulle’s daughter – just knew that the biggest international airport in France is named after Charles. Has wetted my appetite to find out more!
And as I said in Sarah Sundin’s blog…I’m going to be dropping big hints to my teenagers about these books for my birthday in early March…if I can wait that long!!! Merci beaucoup!
Thank You for chance to win!! Looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you for this great article — so interesting and informative!
I cannot wait for to read this book!! Super excited ~ my comment didn’t post yesterday
I very much enjoyed the author and book chat last Saturday and now that I learned about Anne DeGaulle it makes your book even more intriguing. I look forward to more of the “Winter in France” group again this Saturday.
Wow, your book sounds like a great read! The book cover is Beautiful! Thank you so much for the chance. Congratulations to you all.
I enjoyed reading about Charles de Gaulle and his daughter! I had never heard of him before. Excited to read your book 🙂
This sound like a very interesting book. I would love to read this.
A fascinating and captivating history. Your World War 2 novels are profound and meaningful. Thanks for your lovely giveaway.
His name sounded familiar but I never knew any of his story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!! I look forward to reading your book, and researching more about Mr. Charles. 🥰📚
Very interesting. I’ve been to France a number of times and never heard this story. As a former SpEd teacher, it warms my heart. Just starting to read your book.
I look forward to reading this story.
What a sad time in history! It seems that we have learned much since then.
This book written from a mother’s heart ranks national near the top of stories I will carry with me.
I have a great niece who has ds and though I rarely see her I am reminded of her and to say a prayer for all. Thanks Liz.
What a great depiction of fatherly love! I’d heard of Charles, but didn’t know about Annie.
Once again, I learned something from Liz Tolsma that I didn’t know!I i do know that Liz has a special needs child and am grateful that she has done such meticulous research that we can learn from.
I love the lens through which you’re telling this story! Can’t wait to read it.
Thanks so much for sharing this incredible story!! I so love history and historical fiction and all we can learn from it!
What a wonderful example of parents love for their children! Something to emulate. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Can’t wait to read these!
Thank you for hosting the FB Live last week! Looking forward to tomorrow’s Live! Also looking forward to the new book with a different perspective of the war.
Shame on me for not knowing much about this part of history…but I will soon rectify that by reading these 3 wonderful books!
Thank you for sharing the history behind your inspiring story. This is a part of history which is not taught in schools. Thank you.
Love reading historical stories!
Oh goodness, I am heavily moved! Can’t wait to read it ❤️
President Charles de Gaulle was a truly exceptional man, father and war hero. His daughter, Anne was lucky to have him. Every child must be loved, regardless of illness or disability.
Liz, I’m looking forward to reading A Picture of Hope! I am enjoying the Winter in France!
Blessings, Tina
These sound like a perfect trio for my TBR pile.