Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent

Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent — page 7
PREFACE xvii for several years and liberation found them without resource or home After 10 years of struggles of patience and of joys life finally allowed them to be together They celebrated their 50-year wedding anniversary in 1994 What were their ages in fact at the time of my interviews Pearl was 80 and Henri 84 Their stories prove that age remains above all a matter of the soul and the heart Henri and Pearl were not sour or sad or withdrawn into themselves Quite the contrary This text makes no pretense to being elegant literature it is a real testimony told with everyday words My main guideline when transcribing notes and tape recordings was respect for the facts there was no thought of romanticizing anything Pearl and Henri didn’t agree about everything but they held in common some important traits traits you could call altru ism courage and youthfulness Their story can be no doubt a source of hope and strength to young people who are con fronted with a challenging life Up until the time of my interviews Pearl had refused to expose her personal history in such a manner it was only for its potential benefit to young people that she eventually agreed to do so