Code Name Hélène (Unabridged)

From the bestselling author of The Frozen River and ‘A genius of historical fiction’ (Daily Telegraph) comes a thrilling story of danger, intrigue and enduring love, based on the extraordinary true story of Nancy Wake, the Australian nurse and journalist who became a heroine of the French Resistance in World War II.

Paris, 1936: Intrepid young Australian journalist Nancy Wake has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets 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 decides to join the resistance. Now she must take another name – a code name.

As Lucienne Carlier, Nancy smuggles people across the border, and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname The White Mouse. With a five-million-franc bounty on her head, she is forced to escape France, so she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, where her new comrades know her as Hélène. Eventually, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly Madam Andrée, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance.

All the while, Nancy is armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the backing of the Allied Forces. But no one can protect Nancy or the people she loves if the enemy finds out that these four women are one and the same…

‘Will fascinate readers of World War II history and thrill fans of fierce, brash, independent women.’ Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

‘Fascinating.’ New York Post, ‘Required Reading’