Gripping

The Weight Of Courage by Alex Baranda is a gripping historical novella. It is the prequel to A Jane Doe Program series.

The story is set in 1942-1943 in Nazi-occupied France. We see newly recruited female agents parachuted into France. Their mission was to set up a resistance network.

All the action is seen through the eyes of Madeleine and in the first person. This enables us to ‘experience’ the action.

At the end of each chapter, we hear Madeleine repeating her undercover agent’s name, and her mission.

We witness the bravery needed to set up safe houses and to recruit people to the Resistance. How to hide in plain sight, right under the nose of the Nazis.

There needs to be more secrecy and less trust, in order to survive.

The final chapter jumps forward in time to 1947. It is in the third person informing us as to the fate of the characters.

This was a gripping tale that I read in just one sitting.

JULIA WILSON