The Prisoner and the Writer
Captain Alfred Dreyfus, wrongly accused of treason by the French government in 1894, was imprisoned on Devil’s Island, off the South American coast. This travesty of justice came to the attention of French writer Émile Zola, who wrote an open letter titled ‘J’Accuse’ to the newspaper L’Aurore. At the height of his career, Zola had everything to lose by exposing this injustice. After a trial, he was forced into exile.
However, his letter received worldwide attention and eventually resulted in Dreyfus’s release. The case is known as the Dreyfus Affair, and the headline ‘J’Accuse’ is still used worldwide to condemn injustice.
While Dreyfus was a victim of anti-Semitism, Zola was reviled for speaking the truth; both suffered from widely spread falsehoods. Written for middle-grade readers, the novel in prose and poetry focuses not on the unjust treatment of Dreyfus, but on the importance of standing up to injustice despite personal cost.
This apparently simple little book, beautifully illustrated, is a vividly written parable for today’s age of misinformation. The concept is carefully formed and powerfully executed. Yet it is easy to read; the words have a lilt that increases reading pleasure. A delight and a uniquely valuable book for today’s world.
