‘The Resistance Girl’ by Jina Bacarr is a historical fiction novel ser over a dual timeline. Present-day connects back to Paris in the 1920s until the time of the Nazi occupation.
In Los Angeles Juliana Chastain has just lost her Maman and is sorting through her belongings, she comes across something that will aid in her discovery of her heritage. Her grandmothers story begins to unfold. As she delves into the past, questions surface and it begins to look like her grandmother was a Nazi collaborator. Juliana keeps digging, hoping that this is not the truth. She decides to attempt to unearth some evidence that Sylvie Martone, a star of the French cinema of that time and her grandmother, is not guilty of the charges Juliana sees in front of her. She travels to France, she is that convinced and discovers even more than she expected.
Sylvie’s story is told in first person and we slip all the way to her childhood with her orphanage upbringing and see her journey through the years. Her choices made during the invasion when she discovers her occupation provides more chances to make a real difference in that horrible time. We also see a little bit of romance during Sylvie’s sad story, as the couple have too many differences in circumstances to make it work for them.
This is a spectacular story of the hard times of France and shows us just how dangerous these times were. A book that, as you envelope yourself in wartime and all that comes with it, just races by. The bravery and courage of the people during this time along with the constant danger and threat of being discovered shines like a glimmer of hope for all. A very well written story with characters that made you cry, laugh and even worry alongside them, a great depiction of France during this time!
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book for my review today.
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