René’s War: Memoirs of French Resistance in WWII

Former French Resistance fighter Mockers provides a riveting firsthand account of his role fighting the Nazi occupation of France from 1941 to 1944. A story of courage, love, and coming of age in the midst of war, Mockers grows from an idle young 19-year-old student artist in 1941 (who used the alias René) to a hardened senior leader of the resistance at the age of 23. He leads the reader from one dangerous encounter with Nazis to another, and, with excellent pacing, the book reads like the best spy thrillers of fiction. Aside from the author, the most intriguing figures are three women who play key roles: Marika, a zealous German spy attempting to trap members of the resistance; Mary, a British Commando team leader coordinating resistance activity; and Michelle, a French messenger who travels over German-controlled roads on her bike to coordinate the activities of different resistance bands. Michelle in particular is a heroine the reader will never forget. Mockers’s narrative holds the potential to become a classic antiwar war memoir, and it is a must-read for anyone inspired by the courage and determination of young people who take a stand against aggression in a dangerous and chaotic world. [em](BookLife) [/em]