The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

In 1943 Alix St Pierre is recruited to join the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), an American intelligence agency. She is sent to Bern in Switzland from where she works with partisan groups in Italy. Alix is American but spent a year at finishing school in Switzerland before returning home to work in advertising agencies. Her parents died when she was thirteen so she has had to learn to be independent to survive. She is also fluent in several European languages which is why she was appointed to the position in Bern.

Then one of the operations she was supervising was sabotaged resulting in the deaths of all but one of the men taking part in the secret mission. Years later Alix is still trying to come to terms with this disaster and her part in it.

In 1946 Alix works in Paris for Christian Dior, publicising his first fashion collection. She has become aware that she is being followed as events from the past haunt her again. In order to live a 'normal' life she must learn to trust again and accept help from others. Only then can she decide her future.

In The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre Natasha Lester has written another work of historical fiction set during World War II. Although a work of fiction much of the story is based on fact. This is explained by the author in the notes at the end of the book. Fashion again features strongly, especially descriptions of some of the dresses in Dior's first collection in February 1947.

Relationships is a dominant theme throughout the book, particularly power generally granted to men over women in their ordinary lives. Alix knows that this is not how she wants to live. Once again Natasha Lester has written another thought provoking historical novel set during the Second World War.