Few would suspect a young widow and mother of two small children of being a spy. Fewer still would believe she leads the largest intelligence operation in France.

Marseille, France, 1941. Zelie Bellerose never fit the mold of an army officer’s wife. She was too passionate in her convictions, too indifferent to societal expectations. After her husband is killed in the war, Zelie focuses on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by joining the Resistance. She is soon one of the most trusted operatives in Alliance, and when their leader is imprisoned, she takes command, hiding her identity from all but a few. With enemies closing in, Zelie must earn the trust of her network and prove herself to those who doubt a woman’s place at the helm of the France’s largest spy ring.

Marcel Laurent was a renowned concert pianist before joining the French army and being sent to a POW camp. Freed in a prisoner exchange by a wealthy businessman with ties to the Resistance, Marcel agrees to spy for Alliance by conducting a youth orchestra, gathering intelligence from patrons who are loose-lipped Nazi sympathizers. Marcel’s weekly radio broadcasts introducing the orchestra’s performances give him the perfect cover to send coded messages over the airwaves.

As Zelie and Marcel grow closer through their shared love of music, she begins to rely on him. But betrayal from within Alliance puts everything they’ve fought for at risk. When a double agent infiltrates their ranks and the two are captured, their bond faces its greatest test . . . and any misstep could jeopardize not only Alliance but the very outcome of the war.

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Discussion Questions
  1. Zelie is based on a real woman who defied tradition and changed history in the process. What did you think of her? Did you understand her struggles and determination? What about her willingness to send her children away in order to keep doing the work for which they’d all be hunted?
  2. Marcel in many ways represents the entire arts sector during the war. Is he what you expected of a hero in a novel about spies? Did you enjoy his way of viewing the world through music?
  3. Alliance really did face betrayal both by one of its French members who turned on them in order to secure the blessing of a gendarmes whose daughter he wanted to marry and Blanchet, the expert sent by the British. What did you think about these two different betrayals? Did you anticipate either? Would you have had the strength to rebuild and keep going?
  4. The mailbag scene was taken directly from the account of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, when her friend smuggled her into Spain. What did you think of that scene? Would you have been willing to spend hours in such a position?
  5. Who is your favorite character and why?
  6. Did Blaise’s insistence on leaving so they weren’t a distraction for Zelie surprising to you? What did you think of him and Elise, and Zelie’s relationship with them?
  7. Though Zelie eventually grew comfortable in her role as la patronne, it took considerably longer for her to believe she was worthy of love. What did you think of her internal struggle? Of her first marriage? Did you find her journey toward trusting Marcel to be believable?
  8. All the arts were used in propaganda during World War II, by both sides, music included. Had you been aware of this? Did you know about the work order sending people to Germany?
  9. Navarre, Gabriel, and Lucien represent the many agents in France who gave their lives in the Resistance. Which loss hit you the hardest?
  10. What do you think the future will look like for Zelie, Marcel, and the children?