The Lost Song of Paris

By: Sarah Steele

Narrated by: Samara MacLaren

She played for love. She fought for freedom.

Inspired by incredible true events, The Lost Song of Paris is a heart-wrenching story of lost love, danger and espionage and one remarkable woman's bravery in World War Two, from the best-selling author of The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon and The Schoolteacher of Saint-Michel.

This unforgettable novel is perfect for fans of My Name Is Eva, The Shut Away Sisters and The Secret Messenger.

'For a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was perched on the diving board at the Piscine Molitor, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders and the sound of Parisians at play beneath her. All she had to do was jump.'

1941. Darkness descends over London as the sirens begin to howl and the bombs rain down. Devastation seeps from every crack of the city. In the midst of all the chaos is a woman gripping a window ledge on the first floor of a Baker Street hotel. She is perched, ready to jump. And as flames rise around her, she is forced to take her chances.

1997. Amy Novak has lost the two great loves in her life: her husband, Michael, and her first love, music. With the first anniversary of Michael's death approaching, Amy buries herself in her job as an archivist. And when a newly declassified file lands on her desk, she is astonished to uncover proof that Agent 'Colette' existed—a name spoken only in whispers; an identity so secret that it has never been verified.

Her discovery leads her to MI6 'godmother' Verity Cooper—a woman with secrets of her own—and on to the streets of Paris where she will uncover a story of unimaginable choices, extraordinary courage and a love that will defy even the darkest days of World War Two....

©2022 Sarah Steele (P)2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Time We’ll Spent

Great read/listen for those of us that love history. I was drawn in immediately!

Fantastic dual timeline and world-building

Beautiful novel about a brave woman in Occupied Paris and a recently widowed 1990s researcher of her secret story. I usually avoid books with dual timelines because they make me confused, but the transition between the story's present and past was so seamless that I felt perfectly at ease following the events as the author laid them out, with wonderful cliffhangers between chapters creating anticipation and moving the story forward. This story's world-building is fantastic! The incredible detail on how operations were carried out, how radios and transmitors worked, aircraft parts and functions, even Gestapo tortures, and so much more demonstrate how thoroughly researched the book is, and one can only applaud the author for that! Wonderful language, substantial dialogue that is beautifully blended with narrative sections, and emotional human parallel storylines (Jews, homosexuals, a protective sister and wife who wants to find meaning in her life outside the family, a woman battling grief) all contribute to a memorable reading experience. I just wish there was an actual recording of the Song of Paris, at least in the audiobook. Not that the story suffers without it, but as a lover of Paris and its music, I'd like to know how the author imagined this song, which meant so much to the protagonist and was featured in one of the book's most dramatic scenes.

Gripping!

While I wish it had a happy ending, these stories rarely do! I was completely enthralled and felt like these were people I was eager to know more about!

Wonderful storytelling!

Loved this book! If you like WWII stories - one of the best I've read.

My Musings

An heart wrenching tale if great courage, of love everlasting in the most difficult days of WWII. I’m so glad I found this one in Kindle Unlimited with the audio included. The narrator greatly added to my enjoyment. Happy reading and listening!

Best I’ve read this year!

The story was so well written and the narrative was absolutely captivating! Would recommend highly!