In my research as a publisher and speaker on the Holocaust in France, I discovered Hanna Diamond’s book Fleeing Hitler: France 1940, and found that the material therein fit perfectly my thirst for more background knowledge, and resonated with the mission of our company, Beach Lloyd Publishers. Dr. Diamond graciously accepted to write the preface for the second edition of the memoir of our author, Girl in the Belgian Resistance.

Beach Lloyd Publishers, LLC was born because of my long friendship with people in Normandy and because my father, Rex Beach Lloyd, was a Navy medic tending the wounded and evacuating the dead on Omaha Beach in Normandy, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. When my friend Armand Idrac, a fourteen-year-old at the time of those landings, presented me with his memoirs in the year 2000, translating it into English and publishing it became very important to me and to my family. The moment was right—I was one year from retirement as a teacher of French. We now publish in French and in English, focusing on Holocaust memoirs fromFrance and Belgium.

Again due to special friends and colleagues, the company has grown in response to their compelling accounts—interviews with and photographs of Holocaust survivors and Resistants, including former hidden children. Our main audience is comprised of teachers of French as well as History, Social Studies and Reading. We exhibit at teachers’ conferences and give talks to many different types of groups and associations, including synagogues and Catholic schools and universities.

Our materials can be found in the Bibliothèque Nationale ofParis, in the library of the Peace Memorial inCaen, in the shops of theUnited StatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum(Washington,DC) and theMuseumofJewish Heritage(New York City) and even inIsrael. Teachers in scores of secondary schools and universities throughout theUnited Stateshave used these books and videos to further our mission: To pass history’s lessons and legacies to people of all ages, towards the goal of making this a better world. Survivors’ memoirs that highlight life-affirming principles, including first-person accounts of the Holocaust, the fates of Resistants and collaborators, the heroism of rescuers, and the stories of innocent youngsters, show that people everywhere and under the worst circumstances, can take a stand and make a difference. Of the groups that typically appear under persecution—victims, perpetrators, bystanders and resistants (“upstanders”)—we can learn to recognize the signs of oppression and act to avoid the tragic mistakes of the past.

In everyday life, even middle school youngsters can learn the dangers of bullying, and can summon the courage to deal with a situation where they are sure that they know right from wrong.

My husband, Ronald, and I, who form the core of Beach Lloyd Publishers, have met many wonderful people, travelled to beautiful places, and had heart-warming and uplifting experiences doing this work of Remembrance.

We very much appreciate the praise when history lovers and teachers thank us for being unique in our niche—not just for the publishing and marketing of the materials, but for the many talks we have given in various venues, on different aspects of this life-changing history. The website  and the stories therein will serve as a valuable resource for Holocaust researchers, whether they be educators, historians, or kindred spirits seeking to deepen their understanding of the work of Remembrance that we owe those who perished during the Nazi occupation of France. Visit us at www.BEACHLLOYD.com and send me an email (beachlloyd@erols.com) with your thoughts!

Joanne Shoestock Silver, Manager

Beach Lloyd Publishers, LLC

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