Sisters of the Resistance

A Novel of Catherine Dior's Paris Spy Network

De: Christine Wells

Narrado por: Saskia Maarleveld

One of PopSugar's Best Books of June!

Two sisters join the Paris Resistance in this pause-resisting new novel inspired by the real-life bravery of Catherine Dior, sister of the fashion designer and a heroine of World War II France - perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Jennifer Chiaverini.

"As dazzling as a Dior gown! With a gorgeous blend of fashion, heartbreak, heroism, and love this book will transport you to France...." (Natasha Lester, New York Times best-selling author of The Paris Secret)

Paris, 1944: The war is nearly over, but for members of the Resistance in occupied France, it is more dangerous than ever before. Twenty-five-year-old Gabby Foucher loathes the Nazis, though as the concierge of 10 rue Royale, she does her best to avoid conflict - unlike her bolder sister Yvette, who finds trouble at every turn.

Then they are both recruited into the Resistance by Catherine Dior and swept into a treacherous world of spies, fugitives, and intrigue. While Gabby risks everything for the man she is hiding from the Nazis, Yvette must decide whether to trust an enigmatic diplomat who seems to have guessed her secret. As the threat of betrayal draws ever-closer, one slip could mean the deaths of many, and both sisters must make choices they might regret.

Paris, 1947: Yvette returns from New York to reunite with Gabby and begin life anew as a mannequin for Dior, who is revolutionizing fashion with the New Look. But first she must discover the truth behind Catherine’s terrible fate, while Gabby finds that there are many kinds of courage, and that love is always worth fighting for.

©2021 Christine Wells (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Not enough character development

I love this genre and the setting of occupied Paris during WWII. The fashion and Dior aspect added some fun, especially since it was based on true events. But the story and characters felt halfheartedly thrown together. Not enough background or character development maybe. I didn’t feel invested in them. It was just okay.

Gabby

Interesting read, would read again. Took a little while to get into this book. Yet enjoyed it nonetheless

Great story and narration.

This was read by one of my favorite narrators and I think she added to how good the story was told. This is my favorite genre and I thought enjoyed the story. Loved how it ended.

Excellent

A most elegant presentation. The book brings the history and the characters to life. Kept me great company for 200+ miles of driving on more than one occasion.

Relationship between sisters

Enjoyed the fictionalized account of resistance workers in Paris. The insight into haute couture was interesting as well.

PHENOMENAL STORY

Loved this story. Wished we could have seen a little more from some of the other characters points of view as well, especially Kathleen's and Lillian's. but understood this is about the sisters

Excellent Historical Fiction

Based on a true story, the author delivers a superb account of this family & the dangers & challenges during this horrible time in history. Excellent narration.

SOOOO GOOD I READ IT TWICE BACK-TO-BACK! AWESOME!

This book was so much better than I had expected it to be. I thought it would be just another book about WWII, the Nazi’s, the trouble in France, etc.

The book was all of those things and so much more! The book was also about some of the heroes in France who did both large and small things to defeat Hitler in order to free France, some working on their own, some working through the Resistance. Many gave their lives; some worked quietly behind the scenes.

This book featured Gabby and Yvette, two sisters who did not intend to work with the Resistance, but soon found themselves doing just that. Yvette worked for a leading dress design house as a delivery person, delivering expensive dresses to the rich and famous. Her bicycle gave her access to many places she would not otherwise have been able to go.

Gabby lived in a flat with her sister and their mother. Gabby managed all the flats in her building. There were many different interesting residents in the apartment, most of whom hated Hitler and quietly were patriots, even the elderly. The problem was, one never knew who was a patriot and who was secretly working for the Gestapo. The trick was to figure out who was who without giving oneself away.

Among the residents of the building Gabby managed was Catherine Dior, sister to Christian Dior, the famous designer for House of Dior. Through Catherine, Gabby found herself hiding injured soldiers in the empty apartments in her building, one of whom was Jack, an injured Englishman that Gabby nursed back to health and fell in love with. Much too soon he had to leave and return to his clandestine activities to bring Hitler down.

Yvette had left the original designer she worked for and began working as a delivery person for House of Dior. At a show where one of the runway models falls, one of the dress fitters who knows Yvette, yanks her into a dressing room and throws her out into the runway. Before Yvette knows it, she is working as a mannequin and model for House of Dior. She meets a famous movie star, Louise who is secretly working for the Resistance. Her acting is so good, she seems to be working with the Gestapo — after all, she’s sleeping with one of the top officers. She likes having Yvette helping her with Dior’s dresses. It doesn’t take long before she has Yvette working as a courier, delivering coded messages from the Gestapo officer she’s sleeping with to people high up in the French government.

Early in her career as a delivery person, Yvette meets a debonair man named Vidar. He’s very mysterious; a man with many layers. He tells Yvette he’s a diplomat. Then circumstances lead Yvette to believe he is also secretly working for the Gestapo. Yvette doesn’t know what to believe of this man. On one hand, he’s always there to help her whenever she needs him; then she sees him apparently helping in a raid of all the residents of her building. Yvette is terribly attracted to this man, but she doesn’t know what the truth is about him or if she can trust him.

This book is full of intrigue and GREAT characters. It is equally about the Resistance, family ties and love. The reader is never really quite sure until about 3/4 of the way through the book who the good guys are and who are not.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was learning how much Catherine Dior contributed to the efforts of the Resistance — just how involved she really was (and her brother, not at all). How Catherine managed to keep those two parts of her life from colliding is a mystery. I had NO IDEA that Catherine was actually arrested and put into a German work camp (transferred around to many) and nearly worked to death before the end of the war came and prisoners were released.

I learned that she endured eight MONTHS of torture and time in the work camp and she never gave up one piece of information. Later, Catherine went on to a very happy life growing roses that were used in the perfumes created by House of Dior. Catherine was a quietly courageous woman who did much to aid the Resistance.

I LOVED this story. I’m sad that it’s over. Now I’m left wondering what on earth I will read now that will be nearly as good.

The narrator Saskia Maareveld (I can never seem to spell her name) is FABULOUS as always. She remains my #1 FAVORITE Audible narrator. I know when I see her name on a book that it’s going to be a great read.😊

I highly, highly recommend this book! I so hope this author has other works for me to explore!

I wanted more

Very good book, not a great one. Good character development, excellent use of factual history. But I felt the end was a bit rushed.

Must read

Another wonderful book written by Christine wells!! Love they way she sucks you in to all characters!!