Review: The Mademoiselle Alliance

Title: The Mademoiselle Alliance 

Author: Natasha Lester

Publisher: 26th March 2025 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 450 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | WW2

Synopsis:

How did a young Parisienne mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in France? A powerful, heartbreaking historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author

Morocco, 1928. Eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, something her new husband can attest. Her unconventionalities - rally car driving, flying planes and dabbling in intelligence work for the government - earn her a reputation, but she knows who she is as an adventurer.

Paris, 1938. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, a chance encounter with a mysterious man codenamed Navarre turns Marie-Madeleine's life upside down. Recruited to help build a resistance network known only as Alliance, she conceals her identity - and gender - as she navigates a perilous double life away from her children and the man she loves. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away.

Bestselling Australian novelist Natasha Lester passionately brings to life the true story of one of history's unsung Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France. Her story is one of epic love, tragic loss and magnificent leadership.

My Thoughts

If you follow my reviews you know Natasha Lester is an auto buy for me, so get ready for this week her new book is about to be released ... and yes ... it is another five star read! I applaud Natasha once more as she flies the flag for these incredible women from history who so deserve their story to be told. This time we follow along with Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in France during the Second World War. 

'My place is the air, the void, the very edges of existence. And from that place, I manage 3,000 agents, the only network that covers the whole of France'.

Truly an incredibly inspiring woman, Marie-Madeleine helped France and the allies win the war putting her country first above all else. Natasha truly captures not only the time and place but more importantly the voice of the many who battled the Nazis. She brings to life Marie-Madeleine as a resistance fighter, as a leader, as a mother and as a woman in a man’s world. The risks and sacrifices that these heroic people undertook for the love of what was right and just is heart wrenching. Love and loss, bravery and brutality all come together in this fight against tyranny. 

“These women will set the world ablaze. And from their courage, a better one will rise. We have to let them.”

Fans of Natasha will not be disappointed with this latest addition. For all historical fiction buffs this is a story you simply must read for its passion and power, for its inspiring and informative detail. A masterclass in beautifully crafted writing of an incredible tale.  

“What’s happened in Alliance is extraordinary. I don’t know if ever again in history there’ll be another woman like you, Marie-Madeleine.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

 

Review: The Foxhole Victory Tour

Title: The Foxhole Victory Tour

Author: Amy Lynn Green

Publisher: 23rd January 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance | WW2

Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

In World War II, worlds collide when performers across the United States unite to tour North Africa in a USO variety show.

Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but she can't keep from speaking her mind, so an overseas adventure with the USO's camp show seems like the perfect fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to find out what happened to the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.

The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers--a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician--but the harmony among their troupe is shattered when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a new job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they'll do whatever is necessary to get it. As their troupe travels closer to combat in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, until not only their careers but also their lives are on the line.

My Thoughts

I have read a great deal about WWII but never a book about those who went overseas to entertain the troops. Straight away the mind goes to Bob Hope or Marilyn Munroe (although she was in Korea not WWII). The Foxhole Victory Tour - apart from its stunning cover - looks at the unsung heroes who endured difficult conditions to entertain the troops on USO’s Foxhole Circuit.

‘She’d spent most of her life trying to do what other people wanted. This was her golden opportunity, and she was going to take it.’

This is not the glamour associated with tours by Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, or Carole Lombard. This story recounts the lives of performers in a USO troupe, why they signed up and how their lives changed in the Summer of 1943 in North Africa. Amy Lynn has done fabulous research (there is a great Author’s note at the end about the historical events behind the novel, inclusive of great questions for a book club group) about the conditions, atmosphere and dangers for all involved. 

‘Suddenly, the uniforms they wore seemed to come with more responsibility. They weren’t play acting for a costume ball. This really was the US Army, and that meant the potential for danger.’

All up I found this to be a super story both inspiring and impactful for all concerned on this particular USO tour in WWII. It tells the backstory for the main characters and has themes of friendship and family, desire and danger, with a little bit of romance. This is a Christian book with subtle nods to God and faith, especially in troubled times. It slotted in really well with Maggie’s struggle with her Salvation Army upbringing and her father’s refusal to accept her brand of music.

I most definitely recommend The Foxhole Victory Tour for a unique look at a different side of WWII and the challenges for organising such a tour and the brave entertainers who partook. It was a rare thing to travel through North Africa and appreciate the impact of war as Amy Lynn expertly captured the settings. This book has it all - fun and laughter, friendship and love, setting and history - for readers of this time period you are sure to enjoy this unique perspective on WWII. 

‘No, their little variety unit wasn’t famous, and they still missed notes and lost their voices and complained about the weather. They sure didn’t have the glamour and star power of the bigger Hollywood tours, or an entourage to help with makeup, hair, and costuming. But they were brave enough to fly into bitter headwinds in biplanes that looked like five-and-dime models, determined enough to give one more encore after a long day of travel, and ordinary enough to remind the soldiers of home. And it turned out that’s all the troops needed.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

QUICK FACTS

• Title: The Foxhole Victory Tour: A Novel

• Author: Amy Lynn Green

• Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 23, 2024)

• Length: (400) pages

• Format: Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

• ISBN: ‎978-0764239571

• Tour Dates: January 22 – February 5, 2024

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |  GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys.

 

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