Joseph Joffo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Joffo
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Joffo at the Salon du Livre 2011 in Geneva
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| Born | 2 April 1931 Paris, France |
| Died | 6 December 2018 (aged 87) Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Alpes-Maritimes, France |
| Occupation | Autobiographer, novelist |
| Genres | Autobiographical |
| Years active | 1970 – 2017 |
| Notable works | A Bag of Marbles (1973) |
Joseph Joffo (born April 2, 1931 – died December 6, 2018) was a French writer. He was famous for writing true stories about his own life. His most well-known book is called A Bag of Marbles (original French title: Un sac de billes). This book has been translated into many languages. It tells the amazing story of his childhood during a very difficult time in history.
Contents
Early Life of Joseph Joffo
Joseph Joffo was born in Paris, France. He was born in the 18th part of the city. Joseph left school when he was 14 years old. He had a certificate that showed he finished primary education. After school, he joined his older brothers. They all worked together in their family's barber shop.
Joseph Joffo's Writing Career
The Story of A Bag of Marbles
Joseph Joffo's famous book, Un sac de billes (A Bag of Marbles), is written like a novel. It tells the true story of Joseph as a young Jewish boy. This was during the Holocaust, a very difficult time for Jewish people. When Joseph was ten years old, his father gave him and his brother Maurice some money. He told them to leave Paris, which was controlled by the Nazis.
The boys had to travel by foot, train, and bus. Their goal was to reach their older brothers, Henri and Albert, in Menton. Menton is a town on the Mediterranean coast. It was in a part of France called Vichy France, which was not occupied by the Nazis at that time. The book A Bag of Marbles describes this incredible journey.
Joseph and his twelve-year-old brother Maurice traveled south across France by themselves. They were trying to escape from the Nazis. They went through northern France to a safer zone in the south. The boys then spent four safe months in Menton. This town is on the border of France and Italy. They were with their older brothers Henri and Albert. Later, they had to leave Menton and go to Nice, where their parents were waiting.
After Paris was freed, Joseph returned to the city. He came back on a crowded train. Maurice returned in a different way, by road. He even brought enough cheese to sell for a good profit. The brothers were reunited with their family at the barber shop. Sadly, their father did not survive. He died in a concentration camp before the war ended.
Other Books by Joseph Joffo
Joseph Joffo wrote other books too. One of them is Anna et son orchestre (Anna and Her Orchestra). This book tells the story of Joseph's mother. It starts when she was 11 years old. It continues until she met Joseph Joffo's father in Paris.
His novel Baby-foot was published in 1977. This book continues the story after Un sac de billes. It describes Joseph's life in Paris after World War II. It also talks about how he discovered American values.
La Vieille dame de Djerba (The Old Lady of Djerba) was published in 1984. Joseph wrote this book after meeting a woman named Liza. He met her at a synagogue in Djerba. Djerba is an island off the coast of Tunisia. Joseph was surprised to find out that she knew his mother and grandmother. He had first thought she was a beggar and offered her money.
Joseph Joffo's Death
Joseph Joffo passed away on December 6, 2018. He was 87 years old. He died at a hospital in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France. He had been ill for a short time.
A Bag of Marbles in Movies
On December 10, 1975, Un sac de billes was made into a movie in France. This film was also shown in other countries. It was known as A Bag of Marbles.
A second movie based on Un Sac de Billes was released in 2017. During the filming in Nice, a Nazi flag was hung on a building. This caused a lot of discussion between the local people and the film crew.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Joffo para niños
