A Hero of France by Alan Furst

Reviewed by: Michael Lazare, Hollis, New Hampshire

Alan Furst has claimed the first years of World War II in Europe as his own literary territory. He tells history through the lives of individuals - ordinary people who perform extraordinary feats under extraordinary circumstances. The latest book by this master of the spy novel is A Hero of France.

 

The protagonist is a leader of the French Resistance, code named Mathieu. The action begins in March 1941. Paris is in the tenth month of oppressive Nazi occupation. Fear and deprivation are the reality, but the Resistance is getting into high gear. Mathieu's network includes a former arms dealer who now runs a nightclub, which is a front for various illegal activities; a 17-year-old girl; the owner of a cheap café; a Jewish teacher; two aristocratic women; a shop owner. Their mission is to transport downed Allied airmen through France and across the border into neutral Spain, from where they can be returned to England to continue fighting the war.

 

All have their reasons for opposing the hated German invaders. As Mathieu recruits a new member, an aristocratic woman, he warns her of the dangers of being in the Resistance. She replies, "Yes, I know... But I am a Frenchwoman, so honor plays a part in my decision. Really, one must do something".

Furst writes in the grand tradition of John Le Carré, Graham Greene, and Eric Ambler. Yet he is more than a talented writer of espionage thrillers. He is a superb stylist, a master of characterization and dialogue, a creator of atmosphere: "Eyes searching the darkness, he had to move slowly, pausing at doorways where he could hide if necessary ... and listening intently for the telltale sounds of police patrols."   Or, "23 June. A heavy, humid day, the Parisian sky pale, the surface of the river flat and  listless."

Furst's research is meticulous. He recreates the city under occupation with a master's touch and makes it come alive. The vast majority of his readers obtained their knowledge of the war through books and movies. But those who were in that place at that time will say, "Yes. That's exactly the way it was."

 

Read this book. You'll fall under Furst's spell.