Mademoiselle Alliance

How did a young Parisienne mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in France? A powerful, heartbreaking historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author

Morocco, 1928. Eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, something her new husband can attest. Her unconventionalities – rally car driving, flying planes and dabbling in intelligence work for the government – earn her a reputation, but she knows who she is at heart: an adventurer.

Paris, 1938. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, a chance encounter with a mysterious man codenamed Navarre turns Marie-Madeleine’s life upside down. Recruited to help build a resistance network known only as Alliance, she conceals her identity – and gender – as she navigates a perilous double life away from her children and the man she loves. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away.

Bestselling Australian novelist Natasha Lester passionately brings to life the true story of one of history’s unsung heroes: Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France. Her story is one of epic love, tragic loss and magnificent leadership.

‘Lester writes with razor-sharp research and admiration for a woman whose name deserves to be blazed across the pages of history’ KATE QUINN, author of The Alice Network

‘Deeply researched and gorgeously written’ KERRI MAHER, author of The Paris Bookseller

‘Written with heart, passion, and impeccable historical research, a powerful story readers will not be able to put down’ MADELINE MARTIN, author of The Last Bookshop in London

Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Imprint: Hachette Australia
Publication date: 26/03/2025