patricia a winsett

See the war through a new set of eyes. Based on actual events, Voices of Féricy chronicles the lives and experiences of my mother and family in a small village near Fontainebleau during WWII. A story of love, growth, and commitment with real people, places, and emotions.

The simple life of Féricy is obliterated when Waffen SS soldiers enter the village. Lucienne’s husband, Robert, is missing, assumed dead or a prisoner of war. At twenty-five, she is left to raise their three-year-old daughter who doesn’t understand that life has changed. Lucienne does her best to cope with the strict laws in occupied France but grows frustrated. She is naïve in believing that following the armistice, Robert would be allowed to return home. Her mother, Marie, uses her experience from the last war to teach her daughter the reality of the situation and how to navigate under occupation. Lucienne refuses to believe what her mother tells her until she has no choice.

The village evolves into a community of strangers, and no one knows who to trust. Denunciations become frequent. Lucienne must be vigilant while in public. It’s easy to make a fatal mistake, even with those she knows well. Anyone can be a collaborator.

Marie’s husband, Jean, is a veteran. Throughout the occupation, he brings a calming voice of experience and reason to his family and close friends while finding subtle ways to undermine their oppressors.

Voices of Féricy demonstrates the essence of the human spirit and its unwavering desire to survive and live free.