GOODNIGHT FROM PARIS
OVERVIEW
In Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life in a gripping historical fiction novel about loyalty and resistance, inspired by a true story.
Paris, 1939. Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, lives as an expatriate in love. But when her husband is dispatched to Brittany to work as a liaison for the British military, Drue finds herself alone with her housekeeper, adrift and heartsick in her adopted city. With her career and fame forty-five hundred miles away, Drue accepts an opportunity that will change her life forever.
Befriended by seasoned wartime journalist Dorothy Thompson and urged on by political operative Jean Fraysse, Drue broadcasts radio programs to the United States. Her duty: shake America from its apathy and, as Nazis encroach and France is occupied, push for resistance and help from the US. As Drue and Jean fall under suspicion, Hitler sends his own message: when Drue’s adopted country is conquered, she will be executed.
In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets—for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for…
ACCOLADES FOR GOODNIGHT FROM PARIS
In Goodnight from Paris, Jane Healey reels readers into the inspiring tale of real-life Hollywood actress Drue Leyton Tartiere, when she leaves acting for a Frenchman and becomes part of the Resistance in Nazi-occupied France. Drue’s courageous actions — engaging in dangerous work broadcasting radio programs designed to prompt America to action and then assisting in the escape of over a hundred Allied pilots — are riveting, and through the pages of this novel, will finally be better known.”
In Goodnight from Paris, Jane Healey illuminates the fascinating story of Drue Leyton, the Hollywood starlet turned resistance heroine. Combining romance, adventure, friendship, betrayal and redemption, Healey weaves a heady, larger-than-life tale against the vivid backdrop of France during the Second World War."
Goodnight from Paris is a portrait in courage, not of the men who lifted guns to rid their nations of tyranny, but of the women who fought to get the support of the United States for the cause via the airwaves. This deft rendering of Drue Leyton’s valiant efforts to report the atrocities of war to the American public deserves a place on the shelf of any lover of World War II fiction. Not to be missed.”
Jane Healey excels at showing ordinary women rising to the occasion in extraordinary circumstances. You'll be cheering for real-life forgotten heroine, American movie star Drue Leyton-Tartiere, as she turns down the chance to leave embattled France for Hollywood, and, instead, defies the Nazi occupiers, risking her life again and again in the cause of freedom. A riveting story of true heroism.”
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS - SPOILERS Ahead!
- Had you ever heard about the 1930s actress Drue Leyton Tartiere before reading this novel?
- What did you find the most surprising aspect of this story?
- Did the book give you a better understanding of life under Nazi occupation in France during WWII?
- Who was your favorite character? Why?
- What did you think of Nadine and Drue’s relationship? Did you think that Drue was overly harsh with Nadine at times? If yes, why?
- Gone with the Wind was very popular in France during the war, and it speaks to the way literature and art can offer people comfort during difficult periods. Can you think of any other examples of books, movies and art providing comfort to people during hard times in history?
- What did you think of the journalist Dorothy Thompson? Had you ever heard of her before this story?
- The American women being imprisoned in the zoo outside Paris was one of the more ‘stranger than fiction’ aspects of Drue’s story. What was your reaction when you first read it, and when did you realize it was historically accurate?
- Drue and Jean’s relationship evolved from friends to something more. Do you think Drue was being disloyal to Jacques in her feelings towards Jean?
- Were you surprised by Mayor Voclain coming to the rescue of Drue, Nadine and their aviators in the end? Did your perception of him change by the end of the story?
- Did you find there were any historical parallels in the novel to what is going on in the world today?
- Did any scenes truly move you and make you cry? Did any scenes make you laugh? Which ones (if any!)?
