DeSoto County Author Writes Holocaust Historical Novel

DESOTO COUNTY, Miss – January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and is a day to remember the victims and their stories.

A Mississippi woman is doing just that with a new book, inspired by two young Holocaust girls.

Joy Lucius is an author and former educator.

“I was a teacher for 23 years,” Lucius said. “I taught mainly middle and high school students.”

Lucius is now a full-time editor for the AFA Journal. This history buff has a particular interest in learning more about the Holocaust.

“But I never really thought about writing about it, because it’s such a touchy subject,” Lucius said. “I am a Christian, not a Jew. I never felt like it was my right to tell this story.

That all changed with a trip to the DeSoto County Museum and the Unknown Child exhibit.

“One of the first photos I found in my research on unknown children of the Holocaust was this beautiful photo of two little sisters,” Lucius said. “Rose Aboulafia, from 1932 to 1944, and Odette Aboulafia from 1936 to 1944.”

These girls are two of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust.

Learning about the tragic story of Rose and Odette Aboulafia inspired her new book, “Rose and Odette: The Unknown Children of the Holocaust.” Lucius published the book on July 1, 2021.

“It’s probably one of the most righteous times of my life,” she said.

It is a historical fiction novel, where two fictional characters learn the true story of what happened to Rose and Odette. It’s a creative way to teach teens and young adults and honor the past.

“I think the main theme is that we’re all connected,” Lucius said. “I just think if we can teach kids to love themselves and see the value in each other, then our world will be so much better.”

During his research, Lucius met Rose and Odette’s nephew, who helped gather more facts for the book. Soon, the family plans to visit DeSoto County to see the museum for the first time.