Julia BilletReviews

Representation: Jewish characters
Trigger warnings: War themes, World War II, death of parents mentioned, displacement, antisemitism
Score: Seven points out of ten.
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What a surprise. I never heard of this author before but I saw her novel in the library. Unfortunately, I missed out on this one for the first time, but not the second. I thought Catherine's War would be a quick read, and I was right, but it defied my expectations. When I picked it up, read and finished Catherine's War, it was pleasantly enjoyable.

It starts with the first character I see, Rachel Cohen, living in a children's home outside Paris, where she has a hobby: photography. Despite the circumstances, the opening pages had nothing catastrophic happening. Everything looks hedonistic and perfect until Rachel alongside others had to escape to another place besides the children's home. All the antisemitism makes life harder for Rachel who found a school she could go to but here's the catch: Rachel must change her name to Catherine to avoid suspicion. The mood quickly changed from hopeful to sombre for the middle section of Catherine's War, but there's a positive note in the conclusion, which I liked. I thought Catherine's War would be a depressing read like another story I've read but shockingly, it isn't.

French Jew Rachel Cohen lives in a children's home near Paris, but as WWII progresses, she is moved from one place to another, out of the Occupied Zone into Free France and, after liberation, back to Paris to look for her parents and to try to reconnect with people she'd been close to during the war. Throughout, she'd taken black-and-white photographs with a Rolleiflex, and after the war, she has a photography show.

Back matter includes a map of French (1942), photographs from the Sevres Children's Home, a note to the reader, and questions from readers. The story of Rachel-turned-Catherine was based on Julia's mother's life.

Beautiful storytelling and imagery, beautiful insight into the constant need for hidden jews to move, adapt, and flee on the regular. Also a moving portrait of the many people in the resistance who worked to hide children and keep them safe. I think the book does a wonderful job showing how people survived and moved on -- keeping all the fears and bad memories locked up tight and going on through the days.

Based on the award-winning author, Julia Billet’s, own mother’s experiences in France during World War II, Catherine’s War, is a historical graphic novel that deals with many serious situations. Although the illustrations include maps and photographs, they have a comic book like quality that helps to keep the story flowing and interesting. Billet’s mother’s wartime stories help the reader discover a young girl’s coming of age and how that young girl uses her camera to deal with the hardships she faced in her beloved France.

This book is about a young girl named Catherine who is a young Jewish girl. This book takes place during WWII and shows the struggles a Jewish girl who has to go into hiding. Catherine finds love in taking photos and capturing special moments and moments of hardship such as the war. Even though Catherine is separated from her parents she keeps the faith and stays brave. This book is a great introduction for students about the Holocaust and WWII. It also teaches students to stay positive during hard times. This book is condensed into comics which is more captivating for readers. Great book that includes important events in history.

Really well done but there’s a disconnect between their escape from Chateau du Page orphanage and suddenly they are with the resistance- I looked twice thinking pages were missing!

The story documents Rachel's , a Jewish teenager, journey during World War II in France. Beginning at a school which was staffed by people who also happened to be part of the resistance, Jewish children were given new identities. When it became clear this wasn't protection enough, the students were split and hidden in other places in France. Catherine (Rachel) moves from place to place to try to stay safe, free, and alive. She continues to grow her talents as a photographer capturing her experience. She nurtures other children in each placement as well. There's a romance, her pursuit of art, and her determination to survive and thrive through difficulties. A quick read.

This graphic novel of historical nature will leave you desiring to know the more in-depth details of Rachel Cohen, (Catherine.) upon reading the afterward, I realize the graphic novel is actually based on a full novel of this historic account. Very well, my wish is granted!

Billet’s historical graphic novel portrays a Jewish girl forced to hide her identity during the Nazi occupation of France. When Rachel Cohen’s school outside Paris becomes unsafe, the aspiring photographer changes her name to Catherine Colin and forsakes any past of her Jewish identity. Before being whisked away by the French resistance, Catherine’s teacher asks her to take pictures of the war (“We’ll need these testimonies”).

Thus her journey begins, see map in book.
Catherine travels from a Catholic boarding school in Saint-Eustache to a peasant farm near Limoges and later to an orphanage in the Pyrenees. Though fear and trauma haunt the country, Catherine encounters the selflessness and sacrifice of strangers, becoming a selfless and generous young woman in the process. The sub sties is fun encountering a little of the romance effect.

Fauvel our illustrator incorporates earth-toned illustrations, features expressive faces alongside panels of photographs being developed, (yes developed, it’s the early 40’s no digital images). These prove moving as they become visible alongside other characters’ disappearances. While no scenes from the war are portrayed, violent episodes do occur. This work with historical fact makes Catherine’s journey feel real and sometimes a bit scary.

This book is perfect. It tells the story of a Jewish girl in France who had to move repeatedly to stay safe. It also tells the story of her growth as a photographer, a wonderful story of learning her art. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is well told.

Nazi resisters in occupied France try to help a Jewish girl stay one step ahead of the round-ups that might send her to the death camps. Rachel Cohen becomes Catherine Colin while coming of age and discovering who she might want to be on the other side of all the danger and stress.

Adapted from the author's novel, which was based on the life of her mother, this graphic novel is pretty engaging despite some occasional awkwardness in execution. The end matter is particularly interesting as it has photos and more information about the mother and real people depicted in the story.

Rachel, a young Jewish girl living at a Children’s home in 1940’s France must undergo a name change to Catherine and constant moves in order to evade the Nazis, but despite the hardships, she does find beauty through the lens of her prized camera.

While in the graphic novel format obviously there are areas where Rachel’s story must be far more truncated than a traditional novel would allow, even with less time and fewer words to tell the story, it remains compelling. The responsibility heaped on this girl’s shoulders from a young age to conceal her identity, to basically become a parent to another child, to become a teacher while still learning herself, all while transitioning from one home to the next with the fear of discovery weighing down on her, Rachel’s strength is inspiring.

The illustrations, the style, the use of washed out color, it’s beautiful art, and very much worked its magic whenever the graphic novel most required poignancy and emotion, it added an extra gut punch to the words in all the right places, particularly in the scenes Rachel shares with little Alice.

I enjoyed this. Quite a story. I had thought it was nonfiction, but I was wrong. I had hoped to learn what happened to Catherine/Rachel once she gets to America. I was hoping to know if she became famous and see some of her well known photos. It is a good story. With graphic novels I don't get as close to the characters as I do in a well written novel. This was nicely illustrated. I appreciated the author answering questions at the end. Unfortunately many were not my questions, but I liked the addition.