Bulletin de Lille, 1916-03 Publié sous le contrôle de l'autorité allemande

A vivid snapshot of a northern French town in March 1916, the story unfolds through the everyday paperwork that kept families afloat as the First World War reached every doorstep. The narrative follows a modest clerk in the mayor’s office, his sister caring for a wounded brother, and a rag‑tag group of volunteers who turn ordinary streets into makeshift aid stations. Their quiet acts of generosity—collecting donations, distributing food, arranging shelter—are sketched against the relentless flow of numbers, dates, and official notices, turning bureaucracy into a living record of survival.

Through sharply observed scenes and the rhythm of official memos, the book captures how ordinary citizens navigated grief, scarcity, and hope while the war raged beyond the front lines. The characters’ lives intersect in classrooms, cafés, and crowded filing rooms, revealing a community bound by duty and compassion. Listeners will feel the pulse of a town whose resilience is measured not just in battles won, but in the innumerable small gestures that kept its heart beating.