The Normandy Diary of Marie-Louise Osmont: 1940-1944

by Marie Louise Osmont

The diary of a French woman provides a perceptive, firsthand view of life in occupied France, capturing the horrors, hardships, and banality of World War II against the backdrop of everyday rural life. TV tie-in. 15,000 first printing. First serial, Destination Discovery.

Genres: History, France, World War II, Memoir, Diary, Nonfiction

118 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 1994

Reviews

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library Book

This amazing diary begins with an entry dated August 6, 1940: "First occupation of the Château de Périers by the Germans; altogether, two non-commissioned officers and four enlisted men." The diary goes on with a few entries for 1940, 1942, and 1943 as the occupation by German troops escalated and the château and its grounds were taken over by provisions, tanks, foxholes, and trenches. Marie-Louise, a fifty-year old widow is allowed to live in one room of the château. This is not a large château, but rather what might be thought of as a manor house.

The diary really picks up in February 1944 and from that point on there are nearly daily entries covering events leading up to D-Day, the departure of the Germans, and the occupation of the property by British troops. The final entry is for August 17, 1944.

The village of Périers is located about three miles inland from the beaches of the D-Day invasion, about midway between Caen and the coast. It was in the middle of the action of June and July of 1944.

Through it all, Marie-Louise perseveres. She is wounded, she sleeps (when the noise of war allows for sleep) in trenches or in a makeshift shelter under her stairway, and endures news of friends lost in the battles that rage around her. She visits nearby villages and towns and describes the devastation she sees. She bicycles to the coast and views the comings and goings between land and naval forces.

Some of the most interesting entries are when she describes the soldiers that have overtaken her home. She is a shrewd observer; her comments on the likeness and differences between the German and British troops are fascinating. How she manages to get along with each wave of troops, try to protect her property, and still maintain some dignity is a testament to the human ability to survive the unthinkable.

An excellent read!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having personal diaries from people present during historical events is such a treasure. Marie-Louise sheltered both German and British soldiers in her home. Most moving is her description of life in the aftermath of D-Day for the civilians. It was terrible and terrifying with all the shells continuously falling and towns and cities being destroyed in the effort to push the Germans back.

[Kevin Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book, but good that it was short. It describes the plight of the civilians who were living in Normandy at the time of the invasion. Short book, with not as much substance as I would have wanted.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written account of a woman's life under the occupation and through the invasion of Normandy. The best description of day to day life around the time of D-Day that I have read. Highly recommend.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to ‘review’ someone’s lived experience. I was reading this in the hopes of gifting it to my father for Christmas, however, it is too bleak to give to him.

A great insight into what it was like to live as a civilian during the Second Word War.

I wish the compilers had included more information about her life prior and post war. This is where I have removed stars. I wanted to know if she survived, rebuilt, did she lose all her money in the bank in Caen? What happened to her beloved animals?

[David Hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. These are excerpts from the diary of someone who was right on the frontline of war in France during World War II. Even though it is a rather short book, it can be hard to read at times. There is no cohesive flow or back story, etc. I feel like some back story or other insight could have made this even better. Still a good read for anyone interested in WWII, especially from a civilian perspective.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short (115 pages) diary showed me a perspective of D-Day that I hadn't read before. Osmont lived in the countryside near the beaches of D-Day. She endures 2 months of living in a battle zone, with shells falling on her estate every day and often machine gun bullets zipping between planes above her head.

[g · Rating 3 out of 5]

a well kept diary with a unique perspective during war and the quartering of her chateau but i kept finding myself thinking about how much different the diaries of her staff or poorer people would have been during the same affair. also she calls some girls sluts??? like babes is that really what matters right now???

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fascinated by the author’s descriptions of the way she managed to survive in Normandy in the midst of the Nazi occupation and then the d-day invasion. Her home was occupied by Nazi, then British soldiers so she had a unique perspective.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

only wish there was a conclusion...

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First line: August 6, 1940 - First occupation of the Chateau de Periers by the Germans;
altogether, two non-commissioned officers and four enlisted men.

Mdm. Osmont lived three miles east of Sword Beach and this is the diary she kept from
the first occupation of her home by the Germans through the D-Day invasion and ending
in August 1944. Highly recommended for anyone interested in WWII history and/or
diaries.

[Clelia Gore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating firsthand account of a well-to-do Norman woman living on her own under German occupation and after the liberation. Lots of insights on WWII, occupation and D-Day that I haven't heard elsewhere.

[Susan Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Interesting contrast between the German and English soldiers occupation of her home. Her daily life is such a good window of history.