This book investigates the phenomenon of rescue during genocides to determine if there are common patterns or structures that enable individuals to act against mass violence. The author, Claire Andrieu, alongside contributor Jacques Semelin, utilizes a multidisciplinary framework to analyze the motivations and mechanisms behind rescue efforts. By examining historical data from three distinct genocides, the text argues that rescue is not merely an isolated moral act but a recurring, albeit fragile, social phenomenon that emerges within underground networks across diverse geographical and political contexts.

Scholars and historians recognize this work as a significant contribution to genocide studies due to its rigorous comparative approach. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the sociology of mass violence and humanitarian intervention.