The Postmistress of Paris: A Novel

Description

AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER* A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' PICK* A GMA BUZZ PICK * AN INDIE NEXT PICK* AN AMAZON BEST OF THE MONTH PICK, LITERATURE AND FICTION*A PEOPLE MAGAZINE PICK The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London revisits the dark early days of the German occupation in France in this haunting novel-a love story and a tale of high-stakes danger and incomparable courage-about a young American heiress who helps artists hunted by the Nazis escape from war-torn Europe. Wealthy, beautiful Nanee was born with a spirit of adventure. For her, learning to fly is freedom. When German tanks roll across the border and into Paris, this woman with an adorable dog and a generous heart joins the resistance. Known as the Postmistress because she delivers information to those in hiding, Nanee uses her charms and skill to house the hunted and deliver them to safety. Photographer Edouard Moss has escaped Germany with his young daughter only to be interned in a French labor camp. His life collides with Nanee's in this sweeping tale of romance and danger set in a world aflame with personal and political passion. Inspired by the real life Chicago heiress Mary Jayne Gold, who worked with American journalist Varian Fry to smuggle artists and intellectuals out of France, The Postmistress of Paris is the haunting story of an indomitable woman whose strength, bravery, and love is a beacon of hope in a time of terror.

Meg Waite Clayton is a New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Beautiful Exiles. Her prior novels include the Langum-Prize honoured The Race for Paris; The Language of Light, a finalist for the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction (now the PEN/Bellwether); and The Wednesday Sisters, one of Entertainment Weekly's 25 Essential Best Friend Novels of all time. She has also written for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, and public radio, often on the subject of the particular challenges women face. A graduate of the University of Michigan and its law school, Meg also writes "Listen In," a monthly audiobook review column for the San Francisco Chronicle. megwaiteclayton.com

"An evocative love story layered with heroism and intrigue - the film 'Casablanca' if Rick had an artsy bent ... powerful." - San Francisco Chronicle "A sweeping tale of perseverance and courage set against the backdrop of Nazi-era Europe, The Postmistress of Paris is the very best kind of historical fiction: a complex and intriguing story that both highlights a little-known moment in the past and resonates powerfully in the present, reminding us that bigotry can only be vanquished when people are willing to take a stand." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train "I loved The Postmistress of Paris, a novel of so many layers - a suspense story, a love story, and a story about the purpose of art. Meg Waite Clayton is a brilliant and deft writer, and I rooted for her strong, witty and brave heroine on her pulse-pounding mission to save Jewish painters, intellectuals, and a motherless child from Vichy France." - Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Eternal "Widely esteemed for her previous World War II novels, Meg Waite Clayton triumphantly returns with The Postmistress of Paris, a story of one woman's heroic quest to help the forgotten in Occupied France. Clayton's immaculately researched and beautifully written tale of passage and courage and heart is her best work yet." - Pam Jenoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Woman With The Blue Star "The work of an unsung heroine rises from the pages of The Postmistress of Paris. Meg Waite Clayton draws a vivid contrast between the beauty of art and the brutality of war, the power of humanity and the human cost of cruelty, greed, and prejudice. With a heart-stopping flight across war-torn Europe, this is a story readers of historical fiction and strong female characters will devour." - Lisa Wingate, # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Before We Were Yours "Clayton expertly renders the story of a courageous American woman's role in the French Resistance during WWII. . . . Clayton's lyrical, thought-provoking prose breathes life into her characters. This sterling portrait of a complex woman stands head and shoulders above most contemporary WWII fiction." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This gripping historical love story from Clayton brings readers into the courageous lives of those struggling just to stay alive and those risking everything to help." - Booklist "Fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah will want to dive right into The Postmistress of Paris." - BookPage "A true gem . . . and a testament to the power of good." - Portia Kapraun, Library Journal (starred review)