I really liked this book. It not only showed the incredible strength of two very different women during World War II, but it demonstrated the disparity of privileges, depending on what country one resided in. The book jacket makes a comment about the two women connecting, which yes, technically they do - eventually. But that's really not what their individual journeys are about.
Ava Harper is a librarian in the Rare Book Room of the Library of Congress in Washington DC. She gets sent to Lisbon, Portugal to help with the war effort. She is intelligent, speaks French & German, and knows how to use microfilm. Her new job is to collect all daily publications (newspapers) she can find each morning and send them to Washington DC for filing. She works out of the US Embassy. Since Portugal is a neutral country, she doesn't experience the same things that people living in occupied countries do in Europe. She eats wonderful food whenever she wants (while so many other people are starving), she attends fancy events in beautiful gowns, comes and goes as she pleases. There ARE Germans to be wary of, and she learns that lesson very shortly after her arrival.
Meanwhile, Elaine (Helene) lives in occupied France. She yearns to help with the Resistance, but her husband, Joseph, forbids it. This causes problems in their marriage. One day her husband doesn't return to their home (after a significant fight). Joseph had fought in the Great War and become a pacifist. In their final argument, Helene had called Joseph a coward. Helene has to seek out Joseph's best friend, Etienne, for information and help. She quickly discovers that Joseph is deeply involved with the Resistance and he was simply trying to protect her by forbidding her to be involved - and not telling her what he was doing. Joseph had already made new identity papers for Helene, which Etienne had. So she became Elaine. Etienne tells Elaine that Joseph has been arrested and is in prison. (He eventually gets sent to a concentration camp.)
These two women, with the help of other incredibly brave men and women, do whatever they can to save people and put an end to the war. Ava doesn't skirt danger completely, but she has plenty of food and a place to live with meaningful work. Elaine is starving, scared and at risk every minute of every day. Very different lives, but on the same mission.
Definitely a good read in my opinion!
Wendy's Rating: *****
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