Narrated by Laurence Bouvard
Description from Goodreads:
"Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’
Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.
But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…
America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.
Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.
As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?
Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page."
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"I am not afraid. I was born to do this."
This was a powerful and emotional story that I found myself being drawn into but only the historical sections; the more recent sections I didn't particularly think added that much to the story as a whole.
I listened to the audio book and whilst I think the narrator did a good job, I did find her interpretation of some of the French characters' voices was a bit jarring. I also found it odd that the main character of Laurence, who is French, spoke to other characters in a French accent however, her inner-dialogue was American.
Having said all that, I was captivated by Laurence's story and loved the way books played a pivotal and vital role in this book; this was unique for me and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
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