We are still alive

With concise, hypnotic prose and a cinematic pace, We Are Still Alive is a story of friendship and courage that perfectly reflects the years of war, which brought out the worst—and also the best—in every human being.

A Jewish girl and a German soldier. An unlikely friendship, stronger than hatred.

Belgium, December 1944. The Germans have launched an offensive in the Ardennes. Renée, a seven-year-old Jewish girl, sheltered on a farm while fleeing Nazi persecution, is entrusted by a priest to two American soldiers—actually German officers infiltrated into the Allied forces. They seem to have no doubts: they must shoot the little girl without mercy.

When the moment of the terrible execution arrives, one of the men, moved by Renée's gaze, changes his mind and kills his partner. From that moment on, the fate of the Jewish girl and that of Mathias, the Nazi soldier, are intertwined, becoming a protective shield against a harsh, chaotic world at war. The two will walk together toward a salvation that seems increasingly elusive. And, above all, they will discover that the bond between them is the only thing that can give them hope of staying alive...

“Through a moving narrative, in which we feel the hand of the screenwriter, comfortable both in the stillness of closed doors and in the fast-paced scenes, Emmanuelle Pirotte examines these troubled souls.” — Elle

“In her first novel, Emmanuelle Pirotte establishes a voice, a tone, a perspective on the gray areas, far from the logic of Good and Evil.” — L'Express

“A story like you rarely see.” — Femme Actuelle

“A Nazi who becomes attached to a Jewish child and saves his life: the unlikely escape told by Emmanuelle Pirotte is a success.” — L'Obs

"The most surprising character is Renée... Always haunted, the girl observes the world around her without reproach or anger. An intuitive and curious little creature, she carries this debut novel to devour." — Le Figaro Littéraire