Nahlah Ayed

Nahlah Ayed is a highly respected journalist working for CBC. Her detailed research of two daring and courageous SOE (Special Operations Executive) agents dropped into France to help prepare the French Resistance forces for D-Day is a compelling tale.
Guy D'Artois, a French-Canadian, and his British SOE agent wife, Sonya Butt from England, were heroic leaders behind German lines. Risking their lives and living apart in the tense world of Nazi-controlled France in 1943-44, Guy and Sonya were show more major players in preparing the rural guerrilla bands of French and Belgian Resistance fighters, called Maquisards, during the German military administration in occupied France during World War II.
The story follows Guy and Sonya through their selection, training, deployment in France, and the ensuing tense months before D-Day, leading bands of 'Maquis' in disruption of the Nazi army's response to the D-Day invasion.
Guy and Sonya, re-united in England following their clandestine work in different parts of France, went on to have a long life together and raise a large family in Canada. Guy continued to serve the Canadian armed forces in training and global conflicts until his retirement as a Major.
Both Guy and Sonya were highly decorated.
Nahlah Ayed does a masterful job in detailing this compelling story. In the Audible version of the book, Nahlah also does the narration.
Excellent! show less

This is a very readable and well told account of two heroes from the second world war. The author is Nahlah Ayed, a journalist with the CBC.
They are Guy D’Artois from Quebec, Canada and Sonia Butt from the UK, via France. They were both bilingual and able to blend easily with the French resistance.
They were both relatively young, she was 19 when she was recruited by the Special Operations Executive to parachute into France and aid with the resistance. Women were generally not employed in a show more combat role in the role but Sonia was one of several who were recognized by the French and British governments after the war for the dangerous roles they played. Guy D’Artois became a trainer of many resistance fighters or maquis who made an immense contribution in preparing France for the D Day invasion in June 1944.
D’Artois and Butt trained together before they were sent to the battlefront and were married a few weeks before they parachuted into France. They did not see each other until the end of the war and were happy to have survived relatively unscathed.
After the war they returned to Canada and raised a family of six children. D’Artois was often away from home in several military roles including the Korean War. Sonia thrived as a mother although there were many times when she was a single parent.
She and several other women were awarded as a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for their war service. Later on she was awarded the French Legion d’honneur.
Very good book. show less

My only criticism is most of the story is pre-war and post-war. The exciting part is maybe a third to a quarter of the narrative. The reader gets two biographies for the price of one. Some of pre-war and post-war stuff is interesting just that there is a lot of it.

Reads like fiction but is true based on an immense amount of research. Sonia Butt, an young English woman, was raised in France. She fled to England when the Germans attacked France. There she met a French-Canadian Soldier, Guy d'Artois, which resulted in a quick marriage before they were both dropped into France to aid the French Underground in their pre D-Day attacks on infrastructure to slow German response to the beach landings. Facing constant Gestapo searches, it was a terrifying life show more behind enemy lines.

The book follows the life of both until their deaths in Canada long after the war was over. They were the recipients of many military awards from England, France and Canada that recognized their contributions in fighting the Nazis.

Nahlah Ayed is a Canadian journalist known for her contributions on the CBC program, Ideas. show less