Telling an untold story – An author’s quest to keep a memory alive
Preparations are being made ahead of a milestone day of commemorations and celebrations.
The 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe will unite families and the wider communities as we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Ahead of 8 May 2025 and VE Day – and indeed at any point – it is important the untold stories are not lost to time.
Simon Thomas has done an amazing job documenting the true exploits of an unassuming person who lived through this time. His historical fiction novel, which I feel privileged to have proofread, follows the life of a young Belgian boy, coming-of-age in the majestic wilderness and brutal colonial oppression of the Belgian Congo.
𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘻𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘺 1940, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴… 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭…𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳?
—
If you know of any organisations or bookshops that would like to feature the remarkable story of Jacques Dumont, or hear the author’s recollection of events from time spent with the subject of the book, then please get in touch and I will put you in contact with Simon.
#VEDay #SupportingOthers #NewBook
