THE WAR WE WON APART

THE WAR WE WON APART
by Nahlah Ayed.


December 1943. 
In a small room in London, a group of fifteen people from a variety of backgrounds assemble awaiting further instructions. Amongst them is a young woman who, after a difficult childhood living in England & France, had become a WAAF. A French speaker, she now seeks a more exciting role than that of the clerical work she has been doing. Having recently attended an interview with the SOE's Maurice Buckmaster, 19-year-old Sonia Butt had agreed to work 'behind enemy lines'.

Also in the room is a French-Canadian Paratrooper. Yet to face the enemy, Guy d'Artois was the most trained person in the room. 
Both Sonia and Guy had noticed each other. They were about to embark on an intensive training programme to became SOE agents. Through this period, love would soon blossom and inside five months they would marry, despite Buckmaster's own concerns.
But on their return from honeymoon, they would be given seperate assignments that would immediately keep the newlyweds apart.

First to leave was Guy. 
Codenamed 'Dieudonne' he was dropped in Eastern France. His assignment was to train and lead hundreds of Marquis in hampering the German response to the upcoming D-Day invasion. This would include sabotaging railway lines, roads and the telephone network. 

Sonia would be sent to the Le Mans area of France. Codenamed 'Blanche', she would work as a courier for the circuit leader. On arrival by parachute she had no idea that this leader would be a man with whom she had had a recent brief relationship with.
Would this prove to be an extra complication?

In entirely different roles and in different parts of France, both would show great courage and determination to take the fight to the Nazis. 
How would their story end and did they both survive the war?
I have set the scene, dear readers, but to reveal anymore, would in my opinion spoil it for you.

Telling the story of two people often in two different places, must bring its challenges. The way the author has alternated the chapters to tell both Sonia and Guy's stories, has been superbly done. 
To read so much of what happened in France also reveals the great amount of research by the author. 
This excellent book has been receiving some high praise. It is certainly deserving of it all.

The hardback book is published by Viking and available now.
I must thank Shona Cook of Penguin Random House Canada for sending me this review copy. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MITCHELL

Image
MITCHELL: Father of the Spitfire  By Paul Beaver. The majority of readers will have heard the name R.J. Mitchell and certainly his most famous aircraft design, the beloved Spitfire. Yet many, myself included, might not have known that his career began in railway engineering. This and so much more is revealed by author , Paul Beaver, who shares the full story of this remarkable man who became Supermarine's chief designer at the age of just 24. Alongside Reginald's career, we also learn how the Supermarine company was founded and then grew during the decades between the two world wars.  Mitchell's answering of Supermarine's job advertisement  would prove to be the beginning of a remarkable legacy. Importantly, o ne the author also states came about with the brains and skills of a talented group of people who have been too often overlooked. This legacy is of course far more than just the Spitfire. Many other types of aircraft especially flying boats were also d...
Read more

ROYAL NAVY FORCE H: 1940-42

Image
ROYAL NAVY FORCE H 1940-42 This is book 14 in Osprey's 'Fleet' series and is written by naval historian, Angus Konstam. If you have read any second world war books on the Mediterranean war and/or Malta, then it is highly likely that Force H and its well respected commander, V.Adm. Sir James Somerville, is mentioned. Based at Gibraltar, Force H patrolled both the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean often escorting vital convoys to Malta. It was Somerville who led the fleet in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir and they would also be later involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.  As well as describing the fleet's ships, its commander and their wartime endeavors, the role and defences of Gibraltar is also covered. This is an added bonus as most books generally only give Gibraltar a passing mention. With a fascinating narrative, aided with many useful maps, charts and original artwork, it is a book I have certainly enjoyed and would definitely rec...
Read more

THE DUMMY DRONE

Image
THE DUMMY DRONE BY Rob More. Away from the Battle of Britain in the skies over the English Channel and Southern counties, or the devastating blitz bombing of London and other major cities, surely  the far North of Scotland would hardly be effected by the second world war?  Well the opposite was true. In this fabulous new book, local author and resident, Rob More reveals how the county of Caithness was a scene of great change from the coastline and beaches to the farmland, hills and villages. Not forgetting all those who lived and worked there.  With the area hosting a range of wartime installations and airfields it received many visits from the Luftwaffe. As we learn in the book, civilians and their properties would also be caught up in these raids. From the radar stations searching for enemy aircraft, to those recruited for the local Home Guard and the lesser known Auxiliary Units. Communities the length of Britain prepared for an expected German invasion. Ro...
Read more