Bretagne: A Forbidden Affair
Diane Scott Lewis
20th Century Historical
Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany just before Germany’s 1940 invasion of France. After her illegitimate baby is stillborn, she’s trapped under the Occupation as war expands across Europe. Norah grieves and consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught too near the coast, she comes under scrutiny of the German commandant, Major August von Gottlieb.
August loathes what Hitler is doing to his country and France but is duty-bound to control the people in his jurisdiction. The lively young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He questions her and asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth.
Their relationship evolves into a passion neither of them can deny. She endures taunts from the villagers. His superiors warn him of not being harsh enough—he could be transferred or worse. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Both acts are fraught with danger while kept secret from one another. Will their dangerous liaison ruin her and end in heartbreak? A gripping historical of forbidden love. Perfect for fans of Pam Jenoff and Marion Kammarow.
Uncaged Review: . Norah hides in France from her home in England with her cousin, but before she can leave, Germany invades France and she is stranded. With food and necessities getting very hard to come by, she feels like she’s become an awful burden for her cousin and her family. All Nora ever wanted to do, is to be an artist, and she wanders to the coast to draw the different birds that flock to the shores. Unfortunately, she is caught by the German Major, and is questioned. But she is free to leave by promising to stay away from the coast – to keep her from seeing what the Germans are doing. But she’s caught the attention of the Major, who is secretly not a fan of Hitler. With the offer of money to paint his portrait, Nora agrees to do it to find out information from him and to gain the money for the family. But they find the attraction to each other hard to ignore.
This book is written about a forbidden love between two “enemies” and the author gives us a realistic view with descriptions that have the reader feeling the danger of war and invasion and tempers it down with a tale of love. A captivating tale of love in the midst of the dangers of war and falling in love with one that could bring the end of everything Nora knows and loves. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 Stars
