City News

Before anything else, I would like to say that hands-down this is the best book that I have read for a while now. I started reading it a few days ago and then put it down, until I finally returned yesterday. Instantly, I regretted not reading it in the first place. This book is simply marvelous. Not only did I cry when the story took a fatal turn, I became attached to every individual character. I felt their pain, joy, and worry. The rating that I would give this book is a 11/10. (It is simply too brilliant to be rated a 10/10.) I would recommend this book to ages 13+. I do think that there are some areas that would be inappropriate for younger teens, regardless if one is mature enough they should try reading this. 

The story flips between three characters, Grace, Eleanor, and Marie. All their stories happen at different years and later they all connect. For instance, Grace’s story starts in 1946, Eleanor’s in 1943, and Marie’s in 1944. It’s important to keep the dates in context of the story plot inorder not to get jumbled. Another thing to keep in mind is the time period in which the story is happening. Eleanor and Marie are living in years through World War II. They are both english operatives trying to defeat the Germans. Grace is living a few years after the war, but a time where the echoes of the war are still prominent. 

The first chapter opens with Grace. She is introduced as a widow who lost her husband in an unfortunate military car accident. Living in New York City, she works as an assistant to Frankie, who helps immigrants get legal documents. On this particular day, Grace is running late to work and ends up in Grand Central Station. There she finds a suitcase that draws her attention. Cautiously, she opens the suitcase and looks at the content. Inside there is a picture of a group of young girls with uniforms, signaling that they are part of the military/government. Due to a rush, Grace keeps the photo and is pushed into a train. 

The next chapter is about Eleanor. She works in a specialized part of the British government, where they are dispatching agents to France. The sad truth is that agents are being killed and taken prisoners in rapid numbers. In the meeting with other officials, Eleanor proposes a plan to dispatch young women to the field to work as radio operatives. Men are scarce in France due to a war, but women are more common and the spies could blend in better. Everyone is hesitant to let Eleanor’s plan go through, as there has never been a women operative in the field. But times are desperate and the Director puts Eleanor in charge. While scouting women to train, Eleanor recruits a single mother, Marie. She is fluent in french and appears to have the strength and the wit to survive. In a span of a couple hours, Marie is whisked to the mountains to train with other girls. 

The story continues to tell how Marie and Eleanor face troubles to win the war. Grace is left with mysterious elements of the past, in which she uncovers secrets of Marie and Eleanor. I hope that this story will be able to capture your mind as it did mine. I wish you a good read :)