The Lost Girls of Paris: A Novel

by Pam Jenoff Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, Henrietta Meire, Candace Thaxton

Overview

Three women. One daring mission.

1946. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Inside is a dozen photographs-each of a different woman.*Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home.

Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal. In this riveting story inspired by true events, Pam Jenoff weaves a tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances.

Don't miss Pam Jenoff's new novel, Code Name Sapphire, a riveting tale of bravery and resistance during World War II.


Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff:

The Woman with the Blue Star
The Orphan's Tale
The Ambassador's Daughter
The Diplomat's Wife
The Kommandant's Girl
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Winter Guest

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2019 - AudioFile

Three narrators masterfully deliver the suspense and emotion of Jenoff's riveting story of real human drama during WWII. Jenoff's historical novel brings to light a group of heroic women who risked their lives as British OES agents in German-occupied Europe. Using a complex plot featuring many flashbacks, Jenoff focuses on three characters: Marie, narrated by Henrietta Meire, one of 12 young women trained as radio operators and spies who were dropped into Europe and ultimately disappeared; Eleanor, portrayed by Elizabeth Knowelden, who recruited and trained the group; and Grace, narrated by Candace Thaxton, whose discovery of an abandoned suitcase launches the search to discover the fates of those who didn’t return. Each narrator provides distinctive accents that provide immediate character identification and guide listeners through scene and speaker changes. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Jenoff brings serious girl power to this story of brave women and the war.” —Cosmopolitan

“A portrait of sisterhood, courage, and drama. A must-read.” —Glamour

“[A] terrific, fast-paced novel…. This is a mesmerizing tale full of appealing characters, intrigue, suspense, and romance.” —Publishers Weekly

"[A] gripping WWII-era tale…. Jenoff breathes life into the tale of a committed “Band of Sisters” who displayed boundless courage in the face of historically dire circumstances, creating a compelling and exciting read." —Booklist

"Jenoff deftly brings to life the history of ordinary women who left behind their home front lives to do the extraordinary—act as secret operatives in occupied territory. Fraught with danger, filled with mystery, and meticulously researched, The Lost Girls of Paris is a fascinating tale of the hidden women who helped to win the war." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

"In The Lost Girls of Paris, Pam Jenoff has used her finely honed story-telling skills to give us a smart, suspenseful, and morally complicated spy novel for our time. Eleanor Trigg and her girls are every bit as human as they are brave. I couldn't put this down." —Jessica Shattuck, New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle

"Pam Jenoff's meticulous research and gorgeous historical world-building lift her books to must-buy status. Her latest interweaves the gritty World War II exploits of England's female spies with the post-war struggle of damaged survivors trying to build new lives in the fallout of tragedy. An intriguing mystery and a captivating heroine make The Lost Girls of Paris a read to savor!" —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of THE ALICE NETWORK

“Based on true events, The Lost Girls of Paris showcases important WWII events and brings us three courageous, determined women who braved constant danger to survive this fascinating, little-known part of the war.” —Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

MARCH 2019 - AudioFile

Three narrators masterfully deliver the suspense and emotion of Jenoff's riveting story of real human drama during WWII. Jenoff's historical novel brings to light a group of heroic women who risked their lives as British OES agents in German-occupied Europe. Using a complex plot featuring many flashbacks, Jenoff focuses on three characters: Marie, narrated by Henrietta Meire, one of 12 young women trained as radio operators and spies who were dropped into Europe and ultimately disappeared; Eleanor, portrayed by Elizabeth Knowelden, who recruited and trained the group; and Grace, narrated by Candace Thaxton, whose discovery of an abandoned suitcase launches the search to discover the fates of those who didn’t return. Each narrator provides distinctive accents that provide immediate character identification and guide listeners through scene and speaker changes. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2018-11-13

Fictional account of the unsung women operatives who helped pave the way for D-Day.

Jenoff's (The Orphan's Tale, 2017, etc.) latest alternates between postwar America and war-torn Europe. The novel opens in 1946 as Grace, whose soldier husband died in an accident, is trying to reinvent herself in New York City. In Grand Central terminal she stumbles upon an abandoned suitcase, wherein she discovers several photos of young women. Soon, she learns that the suitcase's owner, Eleanor, recently arrived from London, has been killed by a car. Flashback to 1943: Eleanor, assistant to the Director of Britain's Special Operations Executive, suggests sending women agents to France to transmit radio intelligence on Nazi movements in aid of the Resistance and the coming Allied invasion. Women, she points out, are less conspicuous masquerading as civilians than men. A native speaker of French, Marie is an ideal candidate. After rigorous training, she is dropped into an area north of Paris, with scant instructions other than to send wireless transmissions as directed by her handler, Julian, code-named Vesper. For reasons not adequately fleshed out, Grace feels compelled to learn more about the women pictured and their connection with Eleanor. With the help of her late husband's best friend, Mark, a burgeoning love interest, Grace accesses SOE records in Washington, D.C., only to find puzzling evidence that Eleanor may have betrayed her own agents. We hardly see Marie in action as a radio operator; we know of her transmissions from France mainly through Eleanor, the recipient, who immediately suspects something is off—but her superiors ignore her warnings. In any spy thriller clear timelines are essential: Jenoff's wartime chronology is blurred by overly general date headings (e.g., London, 1944) and confusing continuity. Sparsely punctuated by shocking brutality and defiant bravery, the narrative is, for the most part, flabby and devoid of tension. Overall, this effort seems rushed, and the sloppy language does nothing to dispel that impression.

A sadly slapdash World War II adventure.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170067633
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/29/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	579,261

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