The Memoirs of André Trocmé is a deeply moving account of the French Protestant pastor whose quiet heroism saved hundreds of Jews during World War II. More than a wartime narrative, the memoir traces Trocmé’s spiritual and moral formation—from a strict bourgeois childhood and personal tragedy to his embrace of Christian pacifism. His resistance, rooted in faith and conscience, is recounted with humility and emotional clarity. Edited by Patrick Cabanel, the memoir offers a powerful testament to nonviolent resistance, moral courage, and the quiet strength of conviction. An essential read for anyone interested in faith, history, or ethical leadership.

The Memoirs of Andre Trocme’ The Pastor Who Rescued Jews


Andre Trocme, the French protestant pastor, was a strong voice for pacifism during WWII. He bravely faced Nazi soldiers and negotiated in church politics with great aplomb. He usually went from one uncomfortable living situation to another with sometimes short food rations, meanwhile taking care of his wife and four children and a number of parishioners. Yes, he rescued some Jews. He performed a number of acts to serve humanity.

The language, the documentation, and the reading level of the book are scholarly in nature. This is NOT intended to be beach reading. The point of view seems to be that the reader is already somewhat familiar with this person.

These memoirs go into a great deal of detail about his life but he does not highlight the actions that led to him getting the "Righteous among the Nations" award by the Holocaust remembrance center Yad Vashem.

In fact, no awards of any kind are listed here. The book also lacks an index, a bibliography, or any photographs, maps, drawings or diagrams.

I would not recommend this book for light reading, but it does give an additional view of the events of the two World Wars and the culture of the European protestant churches of that time frame.

I have read a number of literary works on André Trocme, and this outstanding book from Plough has far surpassed all of them! This unsung hero from one of the darkest days of world history has well deserved the fame this published memoir shines on him. The reader should dare to ask himself, what he would of done, if he was in André's situation, to help save the countless helpless victims from the deadly claws of the Nazis. The legacy of the kind and courageous deads this brave man has done is a soothing balm amidst the horrendous horrors of the Holocaust. This title is a significant addition to our fine collection of history during the second world war.

Pastor Andre Trocme certainly led an exciting life. He was in the military in the First World War, living in Morocco for a time where he rode horses and experienced Arab hospitality. During the Second World War, he and the people of the small French town where he lived managed to save thousands of Jews. He and his wife Magna hid two in their own home. At one stage, he was arrested and managed to walk away with the ID papers that would have damned him, and he relates many stories about the Resistance.

The problem is that this book is difficult to read because it is written in a dull manner, especially when he goes into philosophical or theological detail. It’s a pity because it could have been so much more interesting.

I received this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It is amazing to read about someone in the strength they have to try and save someone else. This was a terrible war and to have these Heroes that risk their lives to save someone. There were so many sacrifices that he had to make to save the people he saved. Interesting historical read that should be in everyone's library. Good read.

This was an interesting memoir, and a peek into the life of a man who saved many lives. Although it doesn’t focus solely on his time during the war, and starts instead much earlier, I think it helped give the reader better insight into what shaped him. While this may have been written for his children, it’s easy to see how this could appeal to a broader audience if you’re interested in historical memoirs, specifically those surrounding the war eras. This wasn’t a light read by any means, but it was very informative, and paints a very detailed picture through words. If you aren’t a history buff, or aren’t into heavy-duty memoirs and biographies, then this might not be your thing, but if you are, then this should be the next book you pick up!

I got an ARC of this book.

Now this is a LONG book. It is not just the diary entries from Trcomé's most famous activism. It follows from his childhood home forward. There is a nice introduction that puts into perspective some of the reasons why the memoir was published was full. It was just really long. It is not a book to sit and read all the way through. It has a lot and some of it seems relatively dull.

Was this a memoir worth reading? Yes. Was this a memoir I should have attempt to read in a few days, no. Give this one time to sit, otherwise it will not be as powerful and will be a slog.

This is another important memoir of the Holocaust and the resistence.

André Trocmé is famous for his role in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis as the pastor of the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. But who was the man behind the legend, and how did he become an international hero and uncompromising advocate of nonviolence resistance? Written in the 1950s and first published in French in 2020, these memoirs trace André Trocmé’s bourgeois childhood to his teenage years as a World War I refugee to his young adult studies abroad in New York City, where he met his future wife, Magda and military service in Algeria, which cemented his pacifist stance. He writes about his postings as a pastor in depressed areas of France, resisting fascism and hiding Jews in Le Chambon. This detailed first-person account details a varied life that never strayed from trying to do the right thing.
I honestly expected a lot more of the memoir to be about protecting and saving Jews with the subtitle. So, I was quite disappointed there was not more about that. But what was included was moving and showed just how the Church turned their back on not only their commands by Jesus, but how they conveniently forget that Jesus was a Jew himself. Trocmé was already a progressive thinker on thin ice with those in the hierarchy but of course, people loved him as I did.
But readers must realize that the editors gave the book the subtitle. This memoir was written for his children. So, he focuses on all aspects of his life. It’s more formal than I expected for that purpose, but it’s not so much that it’s overly difficult to read. Any difficulty is in the emotion that goes with the touchy subjects of living through two wars and, even worse, the suicide of his teenage son. He was unable to complete his memoirs, and there is an epilogue that summarizes what hasn’t been covered. But I have to say the book is hefty already at 463 pages, and I’m not sure how much longer I could have kept reading. Do I find this a problem? No. This wasn’t intended for me. While it was educational and I'm glad I read it, this was created for his children. They are the ultimate critics.
This does provide a lot of study for those into history, especially of the World Wars. If you would enjoy reading about other intriguing figures in Christianity, then you would enjoy this.