Code Name Hélène

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The commissioner’s mustache twitches in anger. “Then he will not mind hearing that you have been entertaining strange men in his absence.” A historical novel explores the intersection of love and war in the life of Australian-born World War II heroine Nancy Grace Augusta Wake. She helped whom ever she could to escape from the clutches of the Gestapo, she organised weapon drops for the resistance fighters, she ran and commanded freedom fighter and every man in her company new who the boss was. When she said jump the response was always “how high”

Wake got her start as an operative after her courtship and 1939 marriage to the French industrialist Henri Fiocca, with whom she lived briefly and happily in Marseille. When the war began and her husband was called to fight, she drove an ambulance to ferry the wounded. And once France fell to Nazi occupation, she aided the escape network of British officer Ian Garrow, whose release she arranged from a concentration camp by bribing a guard. Ultimately, her husband returned from the war, but the Gestapo discovered her Allied loyalties, forcing Wake to flee the country into Britain and leave her beloved husband behind. It also made me see that we need Nancy's strength and daring in the challenges that face us as a nation and as a world. Code Name Hélène is a story about wartime heroine Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, she was born in New Zealand in 1912 and moved to Sydney, Australia when she was a toddler. Nancy left Australia at sixteen, America was her first stop, and then she traveled to France to work as a freelance journalist. Here, Nancy meets Henri Fiocca, he owns a ship building company in Marseilles and has a reputation for being a rich playboy. Hélène is just one of four code names used by Nancy Wake. A relentless, unapologetic, feminine, brave woman who stood toe-to-toe with her male counterparts in the French Resistance during WWII. Beyond her work in the resistance is a deep, all abiding love to a husband who not only supports her efforts financially, but as a true partner as well. Her story is fascinating and kept me utterly riveted.This was such an engaging book from beginning to end. It is difficult to say much more without getting into spoiler territory and this book is developed so beautifully with divergent timelines that I don't want to give anything away. It is best discovered as it is read. A few of my favorite passages: A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. This is the next book I won’t be able to stop talking about… so, so good!‘ 5 stars (Goodreads reviewer) Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name. Code Name Helene is an enchanting story of a beautiful marriage, friendships, war, bravery, tragedy and the sacrifices made by both Helene and Henri.

Did the dynamic of Nancy and Henri’s relationship surprise you? In what ways does it differ from other stories of love in wartime that you have read before? And I thought you were about to say you’d taken a lover. By comparison, espionage seems saintly.” (c) Rousselet, who is producing “Code Name Hélène,” said, “Ariel Lawhon’s novel vividly brings to life the incredible true story of Nancy Wake, whose wit and style were matched only by her bravery, courage and passionate leadership.” The consequences of Marceline’s betrayal are staggering. Do you think her obsession with Henri is the only reason for her choices? Or is her decision deeper and more complex?All the air rushes from his lungs in a grunt. His wife hasn’t been sleeping with other men. “Is that all?” Nancy Wake... Nancy Fiocca—is the kind of woman who conquers the world. Fearless. Ferocious. Nancy is the sort of woman who bathes in a meteor shower. She is not the kind of woman who concedes to anyone. (c)