Code Name Hélène A Novel

This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of Nancy Wake, an astonishing socialite spy who became one of the most decorated women in WWII. The story begins in 1936, where Nancy is an intrepid Australian expat working as a journalist in Paris. After marrying the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca, the German invasion prompts her to take on a code name. Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, the narrative chronicles her transformation into one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance. As 'Lucienne Carlier,' she earns the Gestapo nickname 'The White Mouse' for her successful smuggling of people and documents and remarkable ability to evade capture, despite a five million franc bounty. Forced to flee France and Henri, she later trains with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, where she is known as 'Hélène.' Her final mission sees her airdropped back into France as the deadly 'Madam Andrée,' where she uses her ferocious wit and signature red lipstick to lead the Resistance and summon weapons from the Allied Forces. The novel explores the enduring love, remarkable sacrifice, and unfaltering resolve of a woman whose notoriety and risk of exposure grew with her power.

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