There are so many incredible stories of hope, love and bravery from this turbulent period in our history. The Girl from Provence is an amalgam of real-life stories that I uncovered, but overall, it’s based on the spirit of resistance and resilience so many ordinary people found within themselves throughout World War II.
The Girl from Provence
South of France, 1942. Twenty-one-year-old Lilou is selling lavender honey in the village square when the Nazis arrive in her beloved Provence. And when her best friend is dragged away simply for being Jewish, Lilou is horrified. As the village begins to take sides, Lilou secretly swears through angry sobs that she’ll sacrifice everything to fight for what’s right.
Drawn in to the French Resistance, soon Lilou is smuggling hidden messages in fresh-baked loaves of bread and meeting Allied pilots in remote moonlit fields. She lives in fear that Kristian, a blue-eyed German soldier, knows about her work – but does he keep her secrets because he is undercover, too?
Everything changes when Lilou is given her most important task: to keep a frightened little boy, Eliot, hidden safe in her farmhouse. All alone in the world, Eliot refuses to speak as he clutches his treasured children’s book close to his chest. Inside is a beautiful story of stars, planets and the night sky. But why is this innocent child the one, among thousands, who Lilou must save?
When she is told Eliot’s book will help her decipher coded messages, Lilou knows he must have knowledge that could change the course of the war. But the day Kristian arrives at her farm searching for hidden Jewish families, Lilou is terrified that Eliot is in more danger than ever…
Can Lilou trust the one person who could tear her world apart? And will she ever help Eliot find his way home?
A totally stunning and heartbreaking read about the incredible sacrifices ordinary people are forced to make each day in wartime. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Rhys Bowen.
Inspirations for The Girl from Provence
There are so many incredible stories of hope, love and bravery from this turbulent period in our history. [book title] is an amalgam of real-life stories that I uncovered, but overall, it’s based on the spirit of resistance and resilience so many ordinary people found within themselves throughout World War II.
Marie-Madeleine Fourcade is inspired by the real woman who headed up Alliance, a branch of the French Resistance, with over 1000 agents who communicated with the British Special Operations Executive, facilitating the exchange of information and people between France and Britain.
Madame Fourcade was a renowned society hostess before the war, with her own radio show, and a penchant for flying. At a time when most men thought women incapable of such things, she led the movement, inspired men and women alike, and undertook amazing feats of bravery. Accounts of her exploits are based on real-life events, as are the stories of her disregard for her own safety, her brazen sang-froid when confronted danger, her ability to absorb and order information, her love affair with her beloved Eagle, and her subsequent tireless mission to repatriate and fight for the rights of former Alliance agents after the war.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of Eliot’s favourite book, was a wonderful writer and dashing aviator whose exploits on the mail planes from Europe to South America and Africa are well documented in his beautiful stories and autobiographical accounts. He died on 31 July 1944 whilst undertaking a reconnaissance flight for the French Air Force. Years later, in 1998, a fisherman found his silver identity bracelet in the sea to the south of Marseille, and in 2003 the wreckage of his aircraft was found. In the same year, a German Luftwaffe pilot became convinced that it was he who’d shot down Saint-Exupéry’s plane all those years ago, and was devastated that it was he who was responsible for his favourite author’s death. The idea fascinated me, and these uncorroborated events were the original spark and inspiration for The Girl From Provence.
The character of the Abbé is inspired by the brave Abbé at the village of Bargemon who is still remembered and revered as a brave Resistance leader in the region, but Lilou, Kristian, Eliot and all the other characters are entirely fictional. However, they represent a spirit, the best and worst of humanity, the wonderful people who refused to give up, and the realisation that every single person can make a difference when evil takes hold.
