The Lost Girls of Paris: A Novel

Told in three different voices, in three timeframes, Jenoff gives us the story of operations through the SOE, a British wartime branch dedicated to working with in country organizations and resistance groups to cause upheaval in the German plans: from moving personnel and supplies to actually setting bombs to destroy infrastructure while providing a constant stream of “boots on the ground’ information through various radio dispatches. In actual fact, the SOE operatives were clandestine and unless male, unrecognized by the British government, and with an average lifespan of six months (at best), this is a huge ask requiring all who are chosen and agreed to do their part some of the bravest, yet least recognized in the fight. Using a mix of facts and fictions, Jenoff manages to tell a story that brings us through the first consideration of women in the front lines to the dissolution and search for answers for 12 missing women. Told in three voices from three women in very different places and positions, Grace, Eleanor and Marie all share their fears, hopes, activities and struggles to make places for themselves as they make a difference. It is Grace’s story that ties all of this together as she pulls all the pieces together, pieces that Eleanor was slowly gathering and providing these women with a voice and story. Unknown and unacknowledged, it will take Grace’s determination with a surprising cohort to bring the story of the “F Section” and the women who served the SOE to the fore. Jenoff has brought these three stories together in a ‘past/present’ sort of way, where Grace is digging in the past, Eleanor and Marie are both speaking in their present (1943 – 1944) and only the photographs, mementos and memories bring these lives to notice, otherwise these fictional 12 would have been lost to history. A clever mix of the atmospheric descriptions of the moments, the bits of actual fact and plausible conversations that feel as if the reader is there, the story is gripping and hard to put down. Were it not for Eleanor, never giving up on “her girls’ and her need to have answers for the 12 who were lost – readers find her determination admirable, and Grace’s taking up that chore as only fitting for one who never quite felt as if she “fit’ in with her family’s more conventional expectations of their daughter, as both Eleanor and Marie, for their own reasons also never quite “fit’ into British life. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. See FULL REVIEW at I am, Indeed

This was a quick read. I liked all three characters, especially protective Eleanor. Sometimes I was annoyed with Marie for making dumb choices, though. The first part of Marie's story centered on her training. I found that interesting and was looking forward to seeing her apply that training in the field. However, after Marie was deployed, there was very little written about her being a radio operator. Mostly what we saw was the odd jobs she was called upon to do that stretched her beyond her training. I imagine the author chose to focus on those actions for the sake of flow and tension, as this was where the suspense really started, so I can understand that. There was a development that really bothered me, though. At one point Marie sent a message to London, and the response she got was something I couldn't imagine even the greenest rookie sending. Yes, it is fiction, and the response moved the action along the way the author needed it to, but unfortunately it felt unbelievable to me. Overall, however, I found this an interesting read.

An amazing novel. It had a slow start. It didn't get me hooked like"The Orphans Tale" but a great story. I do love Jenoff and I love everything I've read of hers.