Geneviève Callerot (1916–2022) was a French novelist and a notable figure associated with the French Resistance during World War II. She gained public recognition for her literary work, which she began late in life, and for her humanitarian efforts during the German occupation of France.
Born in Paris, Callerot spent the majority of her life in the Dordogne region. During World War II, her family’s farm was situated near the demarcation line separating the occupied zone from Vichy France. Alongside her father and sister, Callerot acted as a "passeuse" (smuggler of people), assisting over 200 individuals—including Jewish families, escaped prisoners of war, and resistance members—in crossing safely into the unoccupied zone.
Callerot did not begin her career as a writer until she was in her eighties. Her first novel, Les Cinq Sous de la chance (1999), was written by hand and became a critical and commercial success in France, eventually selling over 100,000 copies. The book depicted rural life and the struggles of the peasantry in the early 20th century. She authored several subsequent works, including Deux filles sous la botte (2018), an autobiographical account of her experiences during the occupation.
In 2018, at the age of 102, Callerot was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (Légion d’honneur), France's highest order of merit, in recognition of her wartime service. She died in 2022 at the age of 106.
