Is a mysterious blind artist the key to breaking a Jewish farmgirl's curse, or will the advancing German army destroy any hope she has left?
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist
In 1939, Germany's invasion of Poland sends shockwaves across Europe and pulls France into a war that shatters lives without warning.
The French Girl's War is a historical coming-of-age novel about a motherless Jewish farmgirl struggling to survive as her country braces for conflict.
Eighteen-year-old Sophie Claveaux, known in her rural village as the goat-girl of Avoine, believes she is cursed to bring misfortune to those she loves. Her dreams of art school in Paris collapse when her father joins the French army and she is sent away for her own safety.
As fear spreads and suspicion grows, Sophie encounters kindness, cruelty, and a mysterious blind artist who challenges everything she believes about art, love, and courage.
To survive, Sophie must confront the rising threat of war and finally face the fears that have shaped her life, choosing whether despair or hope will define her future.
"C'est Merveilleux!"
A compelling read that is rich in cultural and historical detail. Sophie's story brilliantly illustrates the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The writing is beautifully descriptive and transports the reader to the sights and sounds along Sophie's journey from the Loire Valley to the streets of Paris."
-Amazon Review
"The French Girl's War is a novel of hope and determination that lights up a dark place in human history. A generous humanity fills the pages of this book. As readers, we can't help worrying about Sophie, yet with her fortitude and grit-and with the hope she inspires-we believe in her. We know she won't rest until goodness prevails."
-Paula Cizmar, Award-winning playwright, author, and screenwriter
"Set early in World War II, this novel charms with its depictions of French village life and its vivid, quirky characters. But don't be misled. The ravages and cruelties of war come calling, forcing eighteen-year-old ingenue Sophie to abandon her dreams of an artistic life-and forging in her a new necessity for courage and fierceness. Sophie is the perfect heroine for the reader who loves to live, for a time, with greatness."
-Louella Nelson, Best-selling author
