This story puts the reader in the middle of events as they happen. This is real story telling, effective when reflecting actual history and experiences. The depth and breath of the emotional relationships of the characters is nothing less than phenomenal. making the reader not only an eye witness but also feeling what the characters are feeling. I could not put this book down and reads at bedtime until my eyes crossed. Having lived through WWII and having visited France made this story all the more relative. What a read!