Code Name Hélène

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It also made me see that we need Nancy's strength and daring in the challenges that face us as a nation and as a world. I finished this a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about Helene . . . exceptional' 5 stars (Goodreads reviewer) Did the dynamic of Nancy and Henri’s relationship surprise you? In what ways does it differ from other stories of love in wartime that you have read before?

Anonymous Content is synonymous with smart, sophisticated storytelling and is the perfect partner for us on ‘Code Name Hélène.’ It’s a gripping, epic tale with a wonderfully colorful, feisty and daring woman at its core whose bravery can’t help but inspire us all,” said Rousselet. First and foremost was the sexual descriptions and the fact that the author felt that including these made Nancy perhaps more palpable. Could this woman not stand on her own without the references to her beauty, her sexual prowess, and her ability to attract any man? I felt it cheapened the story for once again a woman became "something" because of her looks. There are tense scenes through the book with harrowing escapes, torture, details on how the British helped the French patriots, training to become a British agent – all of it was highly researched by the author. Near the end of her life, she became highly decorated and recognized for her strong contributions to the war. And I thought you were about to say you’d taken a lover. By comparison, espionage seems saintly.” (c)It's no secret that I love books with strong women. Women with gumption. They inspire me. To loosely paraphrase Lawhon "Women like Nancy have always existed. But when men write the history books we don't hear about them." In my opinion- it's time we hear her story because it s so.darn.good! Lawhon's "Author's Note" relays the immense amount of research she made regarding this memorable woman and why this was written as historical fiction and not as a biography. She recommends reading Nancy Wake's autobiography The White Mouse; and,

There is something for everyone here. There’s the tension and thrills as the resistance fighters pit themselves against the German war machine and that’s countered by the touching love story of Nancy and Henri. I love a good historical fiction story and Code Name Hélène did not disappoint. This powerful and thrilling WWII story is fictional but it’s based on the remarkable young socialite Nancy Wake who went off to war while her French husband stayed behind. Nancy is accused of using “profanity as a weapon” to gain her male colleagues’ respect. Do you think this is true?

READERS GUIDE

This was an okay read, and I would rate this 2.5 stars. I am rounding up because I did enjoy reading the Author's Note at the end which caused me to look up the real Nancy Wake. This book has it all – suspense, intrigue, romance, so much more! I absolutely love Hélène AKA Nancy. She is honest, brazen, gutsy, and persuasive. She speaks first and thinks later. This book is intense and addicting, I was so enthralled I could hardly bear to pull myself away from it.

For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. About the author: Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Helene is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name. It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper. She is fighting to cover the disturbing reports of violence coming out of Vienna and Berlin when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.The questions that follow are intended to enhance your group’s conversation of Code Name Hélène, Ariel Lawhon’s stunning novel based on the life of World War II heroine, Nancy Wake. Questions and Topics for Discussion I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” This fully animated portrait of Nancy Wake . . . will fascinate readers of World War II history and thrill fans of fierce, brash, independent women, alike.” Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name. Based on the thrilling real-life story of Socialite spy Nancy Wake, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the author of I Was Anastasia , featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII. Nancy Wake was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the British SOE – Special Operations Executive – during World War II. Her exploits during the war earned her the George Medal from the UK, the Medal of Freedom from the US, the Légion d’honneur from France and medals from Australia and New Zealand – she became Australia’s most decorated heroine in World War II. Her exploits also earned her the title ‘The White Mouse’ from the Gestapo because she was so difficult to catch. Author, Ariel Lawhon has penned her historical fiction novel, "Code Name Hélène" using facts gleaned from Nancy’s autobiography, "The White Mouse" as well as from the works of other biographers to paint as accurate a picture as possible of this extremely brave and unique person. The story covers Nancy’s life from the early 1930s when she was a journalist based in Paris (at one time she interviewed one Adolph Hitler) through her time with the French Resistance and finally, the SOE. It is an extraordinary journey by a remarkable woman. Rousselet, who is producing “Code Name Hélène,” said, “Ariel Lawhon’s novel vividly brings to life the incredible true story of Nancy Wake, whose wit and style were matched only by her bravery, courage and passionate leadership.” Victor Hugo and his works play a big part throughout this story and many quotations from his books are used as epigraphs.

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The organization trained her extensively, and Wake’s accomplishments in the pursuit of Nazi defeat were astonishing: She once biked 500 kilometers over the course of 24 hours to deliver a message; she killed a Nazi soldier with her bare hands; she presided over the firing-squad execution of Resistance fighters who kidnapped and raped women. And as Lawhon notes, there were many female spies during World War II, but Wake represented one of a very small number of female military leaders. I highly recommend this story about sacrifice, betrayal, friendship, loyalty and love for historical fiction and/or WWII fans alike! Wake had to fight to get the article published, but when it finally appeared in the New York Evening Journal — her stories often were published in American newspapers — it wasn’t bylined. Failure to credit women journalists wasn’t an oversight but instead a purposeful and unfortunate reality for women of the time, one the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed Wake character in the book characterizes as “bullshit.” What Nancy Wake did to aid the war effort against the Nazi war machine is nothing short of miraculous. Who said that the war front was no place for a woman? Well whoever said it Nancy Wake proved them wrong.