First published 2013
Jeanne Nerin steals bread when hunger strikes. Her mother takes in washing to survive in the Catholic village of Ste. Madeleine, hiding the dangerous truth that she was once Jewish. Across the social divide lives Marie-Angèle Baudry, the grocer's daughter who dreams of comfort and status while priding herself on her devotion to God. The two girls grow up together despite their vastly different circumstances. Jeanne seizes whatever opportunities come her way. Marie-Angèle looks down on such grasping, believing her piety and family position entitle her to better things. Then war arrives without warning. The conflict transforms their village into something unrecognizable, where old rules no longer apply and survival depends on choices that blur the lines between right and wrong. The forces pulling Jeanne and Marie-Angèle apart grow stronger than those holding them together. In this new reality, accusations pile up and bury the truth. Past and present collide through small triggers: soap that carries forbidden memories, village gossip after Sunday mass, letters that never reach their destination. The war forces both young women to confront questions of guilt, faith, and judgment that will reshape who they become.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Ste. Madeleine
Period: World War II
234 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury USA
Content warnings: war