The French Wife

Name: The French Wife
Author: Ann Bennett

by Ann Bennett

Genre: Romance Historical Fiction

80 pages

They thought her husband was a hero. Only she knew the truth…

France 1943: Amelie Garnier loathes the enemy soldiers who occupy their sleepy French village. Forced to work as a secretary for the Nazis, her heart pounds as she speeds through the narrow streets, enemy secrets in her bicycle basket, home to her husband Bruno. Bruno is hailed as a hero for hiding resistance workers in their cellar but only Amelie knows the truth of what goes in their isolated farmhouse. And what danger she is in…

Present day: Longing for a new start away from the tragedy she left in London, Emma arrives at the forlorn honey-coloured farmhouse. Sorting through dusty cupboards, she discovers a sad-eyed wedding photograph of the previous owner, Amelie, and cannot shake the sense that Amelie too has known great grief.

But when she mentions Amelie’s name in the ancient, cobbled square the locals look away and mutter about a devastating betrayal. Emma knows what it feels like to be wrongly judged and is sure she can still feel Amelie’s gentle presence in the rooms of her new home. If Emma brings Amelie’s truth into the light, will she find a path forward from the rawness of her own loss, and hope for a brighter future?

A completely heartbreaking story about bravery and the terrible sacrifice that a heroic woman in war was forced to make. Fans of Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy will be swept away by The French Wife.

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