Introduction

In Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life in a gripping novel about loyalty and resistance, inspired by a true story, from the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Secret Stealers.

Paris, 1939. Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, lives as an expatriate in love. But when her husband is dispatched to Brittany to work as a liaison for the British military, Drue finds herself alone with her housekeeper, adrift and heartsick in her adopted city. With her career and fame forty-five hundred miles away, Drue accepts an opportunity that will change her life forever.

Befriended by seasoned wartime journalist Dorothy Thompson and urged on by political operative Jean Fraysse, Drue broadcasts radio programs to the United States. Her duty: shake America from its apathy and, as Nazis encroach and France is occupied, push for resistance and help from the US. As Drue and Jean fall under suspicion, Hitler sends his own message: when Drue’s adopted country is conquered, she will be executed.

In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets?for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for.

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Excerpt

Chapter One
October 30, 1939?Paris, France
When I walked out of my apartment building on Rue Saint-Dominique, I nearly collided with my neighbor, the elderly Madame Vachon. She was returning from a walk with her two enthusiastic black-and-white papillons, Oscar and Titou, so I held the door for her, almost getting tangled in the little dogs’ leather leashes. It was a crisp October afternoon, and I had decided to bike to Les Deux Magots to meet Elise, my agent in France. With my hair tucked under a navy-blue beret and my windbreaker over my dress to protect me from the autumn breeze, I rode through my adopted city, reminded at every turn why it had captivated Americans like me for centuries—from the picturesque bridges crossing the Seine to the cream-colored apartment buildings with their matching balconies and mansard roofs to the ornate street signs. And then there was my favorite part of Paris—the cafés on almost every block, their terraces crammed with Parisians sitting together around tiny wrought iron tables sharing drinks and cigarettes. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What surprised you the most about Drue Leyton’s story?

2. Which character’s fate would you say was the most tragic?

3. Did the story help you gain a better understanding of life in France during occupation? What details were you already aware of and what was new to you?

4. Before reading this novel, were you aware of the imprisonment of American women in a zoo outside Paris during the war?

5. What was your favorite scene in the story? Why?

6. Did any of the events or scenes in the novel seem similar to events that are happening in the world today? If yes, which ones?

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