April 2, 2012
Christy winner Groot (Madman) sets her WWII-era tale in Normandy in spring 1944. American pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down, and saved and recruited by local French resistance fighters. He will impersonate a German officer to collect intelligence from a local prostitute, Brigitte Durand, whose brothel serves German officers. But when the stakes are high and the French are exhausted by occupation and mistrust, it is easy to slip. Groot cleverly reworks the biblical story of the prostitute Rahab, who helps the forces of Joshua take Jericho. She also does good historical work with details and subtle psychological work with her characters. The Germans aren’t all villains, and not all the resistance fighters are squeaky-clean heroes. She even manages comic relief in spite of the overwhelmingly grim circumstances of occupied France after four years of war. WWII-era novels are popular; this is a superior, page-turning entry in that niche. Agency: Creative Trust Literary Group.
April 1, 2013
Set during World War II in occupied France just months before the Allied invasion, this historical novel revolves around a downed American pilot, a French prostitute, a French resistance leader, and a German major. The four years of occupation have been harsh on the French, and survival comes at a high cost. Can the core characters' souls find the right path to freedom even if their physical bodies die? Reader Carine Montbertrand does an excellent job with the multitude of accents including French, German, Dutch, and American, but the subject matter of torture and abuse does not sit easily on her light, youthful voice. Readers should be aware that while this novel has inspirational aspects, it also includes brutal scenes of violence. VERDICT Overall, this is recommended for fiction collections especially where inspirational fiction is popular.--J. Sara Paulk, Wythe-Grayson Regional Lib., Independence, VA
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