Lucie Aubrac-Occupation

I got truly into the occupation in the 80/90s and became so obsessed that I tried to read and watch everything relevant. After a few years off I seem to have got back into the groove again and have become equally obsessed!  Lucie Aubrac about whom a fictional film was made wrote an excellent book La Résistance expliquée à mes petits-enfants which really hits home because that woman so hated being occupied by the Germans-it comes through.  



The book is a perfect backup for those studying Le Silence de la Mer or Un Sac de billes for which there are comprehensive language resources on www.alevelfrench.com/home     Here is a flavour of Lucie Aubrac, a feisty lady to say the least.

The book is made for younger kids but would not be in any way patronizing for A level students particularly with its use of the perfect and imperfect tenses which would help embed language for the average student.

Du Rêve pour les oufs

I enjoyed very much Kiffe Kiffe Demain with its whimsical humour and true to life background and was very pleased to see that Faïza Guène has come up with another novel Du Rêve pour les Oufs.   A good quick 150 page read it is a short period in the life of Alhème an Algerian girl living in the Paris area.   The mingling of verlan, Arab words and racy French makes for a breakneck rush through life for Maghrébins in France today.  The Alevelfrench.com resources on Kiffe Kiffe Demain have been very popular and I can see this book being partnered with the new one to provide a compelling cultural topic.  

Much more confident than Dora, Ahlème has problems landing a job;  she spends much of her time trying to keep her brother out of the hands of the law.   I guess in someways the situation is stereotyped but it does provide a more life affirming slant on immigrant life in France than the negativity of La Haine.    If any one thinks that Faïza Guène would make a good subject for cultural coverage I would be only too happy to cover her on alevelfrench.com.   Just visit the site to buy the new book Du Rève pour les Oufs.