Scan barcode
A review by one_more_book
Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal by Matthew Goodman
5.0
Pairs Underground is the book historical fiction authors should read first when researching notable of women in World War II. This is a powerfully emotional account of two 50-something women, Etta Shiber and Kate "Kitty" Bonnefous, who proved the many strengths of women, especially during wartime in occupied Paris.
These two unsuspecting "gray haired elderly ladies" risk their lives to help English and French men escape from the Gestapo. Kate actually does all of the planning, legwork, and making of connections while Etta is her faithful friend and companion who is to0 anxiety-filled to take a more active role. There are many characters in this book: family, soldiers, British and French escapees, and of course members of the Gestapo.
While at time the book gets to be a little slow, it is followed by harrowing is tales of the risks Kate and Etta took to help repatriate soldiers. It unknown exactly how many they helped, as is common in retelling of accounts things get exaggerated, but we do know that at least twenty men escaped and survived because of the bravery of "two old unsuspecting" women.
Kate and Etta are eventually caught by the Gestapo and imprisoned (we know this from the beginning of the book). The accounts a "martial rape" and brutality are extremely disturbing, especially because these accounts are first hand, not fiction.
Everyone should read at least one book like this, lest we forget the heinous crimes, brutality, torture, and deaths that occur during war, which all could be prevented.
These two unsuspecting "gray haired elderly ladies" risk their lives to help English and French men escape from the Gestapo. Kate actually does all of the planning, legwork, and making of connections while Etta is her faithful friend and companion who is to0 anxiety-filled to take a more active role. There are many characters in this book: family, soldiers, British and French escapees, and of course members of the Gestapo.
While at time the book gets to be a little slow, it is followed by harrowing is tales of the risks Kate and Etta took to help repatriate soldiers. It unknown exactly how many they helped, as is common in retelling of accounts things get exaggerated, but we do know that at least twenty men escaped and survived because of the bravery of "two old unsuspecting" women.
Kate and Etta are eventually caught by the Gestapo and imprisoned (we know this from the beginning of the book). The accounts a "martial rape" and brutality are extremely disturbing, especially because these accounts are first hand, not fiction.
Everyone should read at least one book like this, lest we forget the heinous crimes, brutality, torture, and deaths that occur during war, which all could be prevented.