'Village of Scoundrels': Gripping tale about harboring Jews during World War II

In Margi Preus' "Village of Scoundrels," the shadow of World War II is creeping closer in a remote mountain village in southern France.
Local guesthouses are full of young Jews who have fled Nazi roundups from German territory and occupied northern France. In the village, they blend in with other young people, drawn by the area's progressive school and its fresh mountain air.
When French police officer Perdant arrives, he suspects the villagers are harboring Jews. His attempts to investigate are thwarted at every turn by locals who sing loud songs to distract him, shower his targets with gifts, or claim they "don't know what a Jew looks like."
At the heart of "Village of Scoundrels" is a question: How can individuals act with integrity in a time of evil?
Two of the novel's characters explore that question. French teen Celeste realizes halfway through the novel that her Jewish classmates and friends "were having a very different experience than her own" as she overcomes her fear to help the resistance.
Then there's 10-year-old Jules, who draws Perdant's unwelcome attention, but diverts, distracts and directly challenges him to rethink his role in a corrupt system.
Preus vividly brings her fictional town, Les Lauzes, to life, especially its silent winters, walled off from the world by harsh winds and massive snowdrifts, and the sledding and celebrations of light that make them bearable.
While some of the book's large cast of characters, especially the adults, tend to blur together, Preus convincingly creates a portrait of an entire community that developed strategies of nonviolent resistance as war and genocide swept across France.
Based on the true story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, which helped more than 3,500 Jews escape or hide during the war, the novel includes an extensive epilogue connecting characters to their historical counterparts.
Following the war, more than three dozen villagers were recognized by world Holocaust center Yad Vashem for their extraordinary efforts. In response, they said, "Things had to be done and we happened to be there to do them. It was the most natural thing in the world to help."