The Mademoiselle Alliance

In this stunning work of historical fiction, the Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, and it''s a trait that not everyone is a fan of--including her husband. But what''s a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl in Morocco to do if not drive in car rallies, learn to fly planes, and dabble in intelligence work for the French government? Years later, when she returns to France after the breakdown of her marriage, she expects things to settle down a bit. But a chance meeting with a mysterious man codenamed Navarre turns her life upside down. An equally passionate patriot, he asks her to help him influence those who don''t yet understand that France is on the brink of war with Nazi Germany. Her efforts are a tremendous success, and her life in the resistance begins. When war finally does erupt, Navarre is arrested and imprisoned, leaving their Alliance network without a leader. Marie-Madeleine finds herself stepping into the role, heedless of the many men who doubt her ability to do so.; Running a spy network is exceptionally complicated, and capture and death are always only a heartbeat away for both Marie-Madeleine and the agents under her care. But she rises above expectations at every turn, achieving seemingly impossible feats of espionage that help turn the tide of the war. But the most impossible, and dangerous, of them all? Falling in love.; Natasha Lester beautifully brings Marie-Madeleine Fourcade''s story to life in this powerful, heartbreaking tale of resilience that reminds us all of what it means to cherish those we love and fight for them with every breath.

Résumé
How did a young Parisian mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in occupied France?

Morocco, 1928. Marie-Madeleine Méric is not the kind of woman who stays quietly at her husband’s side. Polyglot, pianist, and pilot, she is a woman of many skills, with unconventional interests—like driving in car rallies—that earn her a daredevil reputation. But dabbling in intelligence work to assist her military officer husband and the French government helps her recognize who she is at heart: an adventurer.

Paris, 1936. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Marie-Madeleine is living in France, her marriage now in shambles, when a chance encounter with an enigmatic spy turns her life upside down. He recruits her to help build a resistance network, and she conceals her identity—and gender—as she navigates a perilous double life.

Eventually, she steps into the role of leader of what is now known as Alliance, despite the naysayers who doubt in a woman’s ability to do so. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away for both Marie-Madeleine and the agents under her care. At the helm of Alliance, she achieves seemingly impossible feats of espionage that help turn the tide of the war. But the most impossible, and dangerous, feat of them all? Falling in love.

New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester beautifully brings Marie-Madeleine Méric Fourcade’s story to life in this powerful, heartbreaking tale of resilience that reminds us what it means to cherish those we love and fight for them with every breath.