Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed

Hallie largely keeps himself out of his book except in the Introduction and Prelude and the end of the book, where he contextualizes the discussion with stories of his own life. Re-read these personal connections and write an essay exploring how his inclusion of personal experiences affects the book.

Hallie was Jewish, which the book mentions only in passing while describing Theis’s work with Cimade: “And, being a Jew, I have imagined vividly how other Jews must have felt walking beside Édouard Theis through danger toward safety” (233). Looking especially at discussions of religion and identity in the book, discuss how Hallie’s Jewish identity affected his treatment of the story of Le Chambon.

The book describes and discusses several people in some detail who aren’t key figures. Trocmé’s living children, Jacques and Nelly, are one example. The women who ran the pensions are another. Choose three of these individuals or groups of people and discuss their impact on Hallie’s discussion of Le Chambon, nonviolence, and ethics.