Guest post written by author Jane Healey
Jane Healey is the author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club, The Secret Stealers and The Beantown Girls, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University, Jane shares a home north of Boston with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, running, cooking, and going to the beach. For more information on the author and upcoming events, or to schedule a virtual book club visit, please visit her website. Goodnight from Paris is out March 7th 2023.
After all that has been written about World War II, it’s amazing to me that we are still discovering lesser-known stories of women who played significant roles in that war. I’ve had the honor of bringing some of these stories to light in my novels. The Beantown Girls is based on the stunningly brave and fascinating true stories of the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls of WWII. My third novel The Secret Stealers is inspired by the women who served in the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, in WWII, including culinary icon Julia Child. My soon-to-be released novel Goodnight From Paris is biographical fiction, inspired by the extraordinary life of Hollywood actress Drue Leyton Tartiere during the war. In 1939, Drue moves to Paris with her adoring husband Jacques. When Jacques goes off to war, Drue works first as a radio broadcaster for the French government, sharing news of the war with America – she is so good in this role, the Nazi’s vow to execute her when they occupy the country. After a stint as a prisoner of war in a Paris zoo, she risks her life many times over as a key member of the underground network rescuing Allied pilots.
The beauty of historical fiction is that it has the power to bring the stories of these women to light for a wider audience, including for younger generations. Here are five novels that deftly illuminate stories of courageous, trailblazing women in WWII:
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by MJ Rose
Author MJ Rose is back with her latest novel The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams. Suzanne Belperron was regarded as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time, with the Duchess of Windsor one of her many illustrious clients. The lesser-known part of her story is that from the start of the war, Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, were helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France. Add this captivating dual-narrative to your must-read list.
Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper
Author Elise Hooper’s Angels of the Pacific is a compelling and heart-wrenching portrayal of the US Army and Navy nurses in the Philippines in WWII, who would become known as the Angels of Bataan. This stellar novel is an ode to the power of female friendships and to just how strong, brave, and resilient women can be in the very darkest of times. Hooper’s novel pays homage to the Angels of Bataan by celebrating their unique piece of WWII history and honoring their many sacrifices.
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
Author Marie Benedict’s novel, The Only Woman in the Room, is the incredible true story of a beautiful and brilliant woman who escaped the Nazis by fleeing to Hollywood. The world came to know her as Hedy Lamarr, movie star and glamour icon. Lamarr’s shocking secret was that she was a scientist as well, one whose invention would help fight the Nazis and revolutionize modern communication. Benedict’s novel is a powerful page-turner, illuminating one of the many women in science that history has overlooked.
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
Code Name Helene, by author Ariel Lawhon, is the astonishing true story of Nancy Wake, a socialite spy who killed a Nazi with her bare hands. Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Wake used, Lawhon’s novel is equal parts thrilling and moving, and she skillfully illustrates why this incredibly brave woman went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
In The Lost Girls of Paris, author Pam Jenoff fictionalizes the true story of Vera Atkins and her team of British Special Operations Executive spies, many of them young women, who advanced into France prior to D-Day as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance. This is a meticulously researched and brilliantly told story of the daring, remarkably brave young women who left behind their ordinary lives to do the extraordinary by serving as spies in occupied France.
