In 1944, news of secret diaries kept by Italy's Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, had permeated public consciousness. What wasn't reported, however, was how three women—a Fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American banker’s wife—risked their lives to ensure the diaries would reach the Allies, who would later use them as evidence against the Nazis at Nuremberg.
Told primarily through the eyes of fictional sisters Yvette and Gabby, the story can be seen as an homage to the women whose brave actions were integral to the underground French resistance ... The book has it all: high fashion, spies, romance, loss, healing, mystery, sisterhood, friendship, and strong female protagonists. The two timelines can be a little confusing to keep track of, particularly as they take place only a couple of years apart, but in general, it is a fast-paced, well-told story that transports the reader to a memorable time in world history.
Ms. Mazzeo has written a compelling story, a tangled web of deceit, corruption, betrayal, courage and family intrigue. It reads like a spy thriller, moving at a fast pace, and even though the reader knows the successful outcome, the suspense never lets up.
The story Mazzeo tells here reads like a John le Carré novel, too incredible to be true—and yet it is ... This little-known but very important WWII story has the pacing of a thriller novel with the research acumen expected from this excellent writer.
