"She smooths her light blue coat with trembling hands as a man approaches. ‘Felix?’ he says, and she nods. ‘We weren’t expecting a girl.’ He smiles, but panic grips her throat at what he says next. ‘Whoever you are, you’ve been betrayed…’
1943, Nazi-occupied Holland. Turning up her collar against the wind, Trix prepares for her rendezvous. Hidden in the bottom of her bag are coded instructions from the British Special Operations Executive and a silk handkerchief, secretly printed with a map of her next meeting point. She knows working for the Dutch resistance is dangerous, but she must put her past behind her and become someone new… someone brave.
Trix’s friends think she’s a secretary – they can never know the truth. Living a double life is desperately lonely, but the longer she goes under her alias, Felix, the more comfortable she becomes with this new version of one who will stand up for what is right, and fight for those who can’t. That is, until the warm brown eyes of a pilot from her past spark hope for a life after the war.
But when she’s ambushed and imprisoned by German soldiers posing as men from the Dutch resistance, Trix must lean on everything she’s learnt if she’s going to survive and grasp her chance at love.
These soldiers see her as just a woman. But is that her greatest weapon? In war, often it’s those we underestimate the most who have the power to change everything…"
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An incredibly compelling story
I've been a huge fan of Imogen Matthews for quite a while now, so I always look forward to diving into her historical fiction. I knew I was in for something special and I wasn't disappointed. This book is grounded heavily in facts and inspired by the remarkable true story of a real woman, which made the entire reading experience feel so much more poignant.
The story follows Trix, a former KLM flight attendant who decides she can't just sit back and accept the Nazi occupation. She joins the resistance as a courier and secretary before training in Britain with the Special Operations Executive, taking on the dangerous alias of Felix. It's an incredibly intense setup and knowing that Trix was a real person navigating these terrifying risks made it all the more gripping. When she's ambushed by German soldiers posing as the resistance, the tension peaks and you genuinely feel the isolation and danger of her double life.
What really set this book apart for me was the sheer scope of Trix's journey and how much she had to endure. The second half of the book gets heavy as the story follows her through the horrors of Ravensbrück and Mauthausen concentration camps. It's a difficult read at times but the focus remains on the human spirit, showing how these women pulled together to survive.
If you love well-researched World War Two fiction that shines a light on real-life bravery and the power of hope in the darkest places, you need to add this to your list. It's a gripping, emotional and unforgettable tribute to an extraordinary woman.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this remarkable story.
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