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A WWII Novel
For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected.
Paris, 1944.
Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smoke screen. An unwilling darling to the Nazis, the chanteuse's position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.
When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won't be long before the gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming Allied invasion. The resistance movement must silence her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must navigate the perilous crosscurrents of occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian's life.
"Robards blends commendable attention to historical detail with intense realism and deep feeling. Historical fiction fans will be enthralled with this richly hewn novel and the romance and danger lurking around its every corner." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An engaging story that explores an often overlooked aspect of World War II lore. For fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, this page-turning novel full of suspense and excitement examines the lengths to which we are willing to go for our loved ones." —Library Journal
"Beneath the glitz and glamour of the life of singing star Genevieve Dumont, aka Black Swan, lies a whirlwind story of love, loss, sacrifice, and war in Paris, 1944. Robards delivers a suspenseful historical account of the women in the Résistance who used heart, body, and soul to advance the Allies plans for an invasion, despite the ironclad control of the Nazis... WWII history buffs will appreciate the accurate depictions and backdrop, while romantic-suspense lovers will eagerly follow Genevieve from the seashores of France to the hilltops of Germany." —Booklist
"A truly outstanding novel, brilliantly written, that captured me and held me in its grip from page one. At its heart this story is about family love and the umbilical cords that stretch but never break. So much can be learnt from the telling of this story of what is truly important whether we live in a privileged, safe environment or in a theatre of conflict. The Black Swan of Paris reminds us of the power of love, hope and courage." —Heather Morris, #1 bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz
"I loved The Black Swan of Paris, which has everything you could ask for in the best historical fiction. A strong heroine to root for, a handsome and seductive spy, and a family secret that drives the plot at breakneck pace, all set against the sweeping backdrop of World War II. This novel is Robards's best yet!" —Lisa Scottoline, #1 bestselling author
This information about The Black Swan of Paris was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Sigrid Estrada
Karen Robards is the author of 50 books and one novella. She is the mother of 3 boys and lives in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. A regular on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others, she published her first novel at age 24.
"I read, I write, and I chauffeur children," she says with a laugh. "That's my life".
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