A Bounty of Books

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alex Kershaw is a riveting story of the efforts of one particular family who was part of the French Resistance during WWII.

Dr. Sumner Jackson was an American who had served in the American Red Cross Hospital of Paris during WWI. He was married to a Swiss woman named Toquette and they had a 12 year old son named Phillip at the time of WWII. As the Nazi's marched toward Paris, Jackson was put in charge of the hospital as many of his colleagues decided to go home. Dr. Jackson helped the cause of the Resistance before the Nazis even got to Paris. He hid an American spy until he could escape under new papers.

I don't want to spoil what happens, so I'll stop there, but the rest of the book continues the story of this remarkable family and how each one contributed to the cause of defeating the Nazis. Kershaw tells their story in such a way that one feels one is reading a thriller. The suspense builds as the story unfolds.

Anyone interested in WWII in general, or the French Resistance in particular will find this a thrilling read. Even those who don't consider themselves history buffs will enjoy Avenue of Spies. It is a very entertaining story that has the bonus of being about true heroes.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255