Barbara Hafer reviewed The French War Bride by Robin Wells at the April 9 Unity Club meeting, hosted by Mary Joseph.
The historical fiction follows the story of a young French woman who lived in Paris during World War II. She survives in Nazi-occupied territory by working unsavory jobs with the French Resistance.
She persists despite losing all of her family and friends to the war and nearly starving.
The French War Bride follows her story, as she tricks an American medic into marrying her, thus gaining passage to America through a War Brides Boat.
The journey is not pleasant, Hafer notes, but the protagonist reaches New York to begin a new life.
Hafer noted the U.S. War Bride Act enabled nearly 100,000 foreign brides to come to the U.S. from December 1945 through December 1948. These women were given non-immigrant status, bypassing stringent immigration quotas.
Sixteen members attended the meeting.
A noon luncheon is planned for Monday at the Funston Meeting Hall. For the program, members will give brief talks about an interesting book.
The summer business meeting will be at 10 a.m. June 26 at the home of Ellen Thompson.
