Nicole's War

Full disclosure. This author is my sister. She has written a number of books over the years, both fiction and non-fiction, and her fiction books are getting better as the years go on. This is by far the best of them. It is interesting, informative, emotional at times and well-written. The characterisation is good, the development of the story over the length of the book is good, and it is easy to put oneself into the shoes of the principal people described. It is partly based on our mother’s experience as a young woman in Paris before the second world war, and as a refugee after the German invasion, although from that point onwards, it diverts into pure fiction. Of course I recommend it, and you may say, “Well, you would do that, wouldn’t you?” Quite right. However, what I have said above is true , and therefore I do recommend it

Another enlightening book with such a strong, granular narrative. Like many, I suspect I had little or no idea what it is to be living under a Nazi or any hostile occupation. Nicole's War is an anthem to why a free democratic world must never be taken for granted. The book captured the devastating repugnance of arbitrary authority. I experienced a visceral reaction several times, not least when Nicole was jailed, beaten and humiliated. The image of Nicole with a dog at her feet as she embarked on the long trek home from Bordeaux to Paris: an odyssey. We are the generation with connections to people who fought in and survived this war. Nicole's War perfectly captures the war's brutality in all its forms. But also the courage, idealism and fortitude of young people whose resolute belief that freedom from an oppressor was worth repeatedly putting their life at risk. This is an important book.