February 29, 1944: I am about to jump out of an aeroplane for the first time I dont care that every man is looking at me as though I dont belong. Besides, Im hungover. And I think I might throw up In 1936 intrepid young Australian journalist Nancy Wake is living in Paris after witnessing firsthand the terror of Hitlers rise in Europe, firing her resolve to fight against the Nazis.
When Nancy falls in love with handsome French industrialist Henri Fiocca, no sooner has she become Mrs Fiocca than the Germans invade France and Nancy takes yet another name, a codename the first of many. As the elusive Lucienne Carlier she smuggles people across borders and earns a new name The White Mouse along with a five million franc bounty on her head, courtesy of the Gestapo. Forced to flee France, Nancy is trained by an elite espionage group under the codename Hlne. Finally, with mission in hand, she is airdropped back into France as the deadly Madame Andre. But the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed Nancy and the people she loves will become. Based on the true story of an extraordinary woman who saved countless lives, Code Name Hlne is a thrilling tale of danger, intrigue, unfaltering courage, remarkable sacrifice and love. Magnificent ... Lawhon carries us into the heart of the French resistance [and] into the mind of a badass heroine with uncanny instincts who takes on the Nazis and mens arrogant sexism with uncommon bravado ... Propulsive ... Emotionally stirring... Even long after the last page is turned, this astonishing story of Wakes accomplishments will hold readers in its grip. Booklist, starred reviewUnderground operative, charmer in red lipstick, loving wife and hard-hitting woman of her times, Nancy Wake will fascinate and thrill fans of fierce, brash, independent women, alike. Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours
