In 1943, Alix St. Pierre is recruited by the U.S. government as a spy and is sent to Paris. There, she is assigned to a potential Nazi turncoat who is meant to help the Allied Forces. But there are always risks.
In 1946, Alix is in Paris as the head of publicity for the newly established House of Dior. However, Alix’s past is haunting her. Can she put it to rest and bring justice? Or will she drown in sorrow?
I have not read any of Natasha Lester’s novels prior to this one. Normally, I am weary about reading WW2 novels. It seems odd to me that the individuals who were there are also the people who don’t talk about it, and yet we as a civilization write stories about it. I think it’s important, but also it can be invasive and emotional. A fact that the author conveys throughout the whole novel brilliantly. The emotional and psychological impact that such horrors had on everyone and on the countries themselves was conveyed with the utmost detail.
I enjoyed Alix. I saw a lot of my grandfather in Alix and in Anthony. The emotional side, I should say. There were many things that my grandfather, and Alix, couldn’t talk about. However, I also found them all to be incredibly strong, realistic characters. I liked that the “past” was chasing Alix. Many believe that everything ended with the war, but that isn’t true. Scars can last a long time.
Even though this is historical fiction, I put Natasha Lester up there with David Grann and Erik Larson. It is easy to judge the individuals from a hindsight point of view. But we must remember that no one really knows how they will act or react. I felt Natasha embodied that with Alix, especially with her ending.
Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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