I found this book a fascinating read as a picture of the work of the Special Operations Executive. Our heroine is Marian Sutro, a 19 year old bilingual Engish girl who's spent much of her life in France. She's recruited to the SOE in 1943, and after training will form part of the Resistance in France. It becomes clear that her special task will be to make contact with an old family friend, Clement Pelletier, who is a nuclear physicist in Paris. Her training, her growing sexual awareness, her tasks as she arrives first of all in rural south west France and then in Paris are all excitingly described. I found her adventures, her feelings, the picture of Paris under German occupation all involving and believable. How should she behave when nobody is to be trusted, when everyone she meets might turn out to be shadowing or following her? Mawer's descriptions of suspicion and claustrophobia, of hardship and deprivation are moving and involving. Only Marion's unexpected action in the last few pages of the novel failed to hit the right note, but the ending itself was convincing. A well researched and exciting book. ( )

An exciting story about an adventurous and brave young woman who joins the Special Operations Executive during World War II and gets dropped into France during the occupation. The story hits some of the usual beats: the recruitment by a mysterious and secret organization, the training, the possible love interest, but once our heroine is parachuted into France the story becomes unpredictable and exciting.

As a realistic view of heroism under pressure, of a heroine for our times, of an imperfect but determined secret agent, this is a wonderful book.

I highly recommend it. ( )

Inspired by the exploits of the women who left Britain to help the French resistance fighters in the Second World War, Mawer has written a story that lives up to their achievements. In a wholly absorbing novel, he traces the career of Marian Sutro through her recruitment and training, before she parachutes into the French countryside. Mawer’s skill is to capture the boredom, excitement, fear and heartaches as Marian grows through her successive experiences and identities. He also contrasts the different lives of those in Britain with those in the French provinces and Paris, making for a fascinating book that envelops the reader and is full of peril and adventure, leading to a nail-biting climax.

It is the second world war and Marion who is in the services is selected by SOE as she can speak fluent French. She is a little reluctant to join at first, but decides that she will. She joins the commandos on their training course with one other woman, and passes with flying colours. After a couple of other courses, including getting her wings, she is ready for her first assignment in France.

She is approached by another secret organisation that want her to meet with an old flame called Clement in Paris. he is working on atomic research, and the British want him to defect. She is parachuted into France, with a man called Benoit and is met by the resistance and is immersed into the local community awaiting the call from London. Shortly after that, she gets the call and she is to delivery some crystals to another agent in Paris.

She meets the other agent in Paris, Yvette, who is living in terror as she thinks her cover is blown, and meets with Clement. She is slightly shocked to find that he is married now, but starts trying to persuade him to come to the UK. As the Nazi authorities close in on her, she realises that every wrong step could be fatal.

Overall is isn't a bad spy thriller. It is loosely based on a female spy called Anne-Marie, who was active during the Nazi occupation of France. It is a little predictable at times, and the beginning is quite slow paced whilst she undergoes training. The pace really does lift at the end, but it doesn't have the subtlety and darker elements that some one like Le Carre has. Ok, but not great.



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Prague Spring much better. Kind of boring with all the scientific jargon. Heroine did not have much of a spark. No "star" quality. . As always I wonder why she didn't dye her hair, cut it off, dress like a boy etc. But then, it would have been a different story. Skimmed last 20 pages. ( )