The Fayette County Public Library invites the public to attend a free Holocaust Remembrance Day program Thursday at 7 p.m. Mariella Crea will tell her mother’s powerful story of courage and resistance in France during World War II.

Jacqueline Garascia was a young girl living in German-occupied France when the government began arresting Jews and sending them to concentration camps in 1942. She was only 12 years old when she began taking an active role in her family’s efforts to help Jews to escape their captors, hide for a time, and eventually make it across the border to Switzerland.

One girl’s story of extraordinary bravery in the face of evil has become a family legacy, as Jacqueline’s daughter, Mariella Crea, makes it her mission to share the truth of her mother’s accomplishments with all who care to listen. Jacqueline passed away in 2012, and as Mariella says, “I am my mother’s voice.” The Fayette County community is fortunate to be able to bear witness to her story.

The Fayette County Public Library is located behind the Fayette County administrative complex in downtown Fayetteville, at the southwest corner of Highways 85 and 54. Fayette County Public Library programs are made possible by generous ongoing support from the Friends of the Fayette County Public Library. For additional information, please contact the library at 770-461-8841.