The Paris Secret is a novel by Australian author, Natasha Lester. The story is told within different time frames and locations - Cornwall during the late 1920s and early 1930s; England and France during the Second World War and Cornwall and Australia in 2012.
As a child, Skye Penrose enjoyed growing up in a cottage near the beach in Cornwall, especially when she could spend time with her best friend, Nicholas Crawford. Skyes' mother brought up her two daughters alone and the girls are very aware that they do not have a father. However Skye developed a special relationship with her mother who teaches Skye and Nicholas to fly an aeroplane.
With the outbreak of war there is opportunity for pilots to join the RAF, but not if they are female. The novel looks at attitudes towards women in a male dominated world during the war and the fight by women for acknowledgement of their abilities. The role of women in the SOE is also a theme of the book.
The Paris Secret is a work of fiction but many of the incidents described, especially in the section dealing with events in the 1940s, are based on actual events. At the end of the book Natasha Lester provides information about her research for the book and some of the sources used. The book is also about relationships within families, including sibling rivalry, plus close friendships forged when faced with danger. It is about learning to trust people, dealing with loss and how to decide whether something which may not be as it seems should be investigated or left alone. This is also a romance novel.
I have not read any other novels by Natasha Lester but after thoroughly enjoying reading The Paris Secret this omission will be rectified.
Two other books reviewed and recommended in this blog dealing with some of the themes covered in The Paris Secret:
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jennoff
Sapphire Skies by Belinda Alexandra
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