Without instruction, Peter realized, Father Paul was teaching and the first lesson was that the battle of faith required many scars before it was won.
Father Paul was the sleeper of the story. Odette and Peter were touched so much by this man, and almost every time I read what he did or said to them, I got choked up. He epitomized gentleness and love.
My favorite photo in the book is the one with Odette and the incredible dolls she made for Father Paul’s niece and nephew. Don’t want to throw out a spoiler, but the interchange about those dolls at the end of the book was exceedingly moving to me.
You can see those dolls, in person, at the Imperial War Museum, where they also have Odette’s medals, dress, gun, and Fritz Suhren’s gun.
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