In Picardy’s Fields is a historical fiction
novel in the Resistance Girl series and is set in WW1.
Agnès de Saint-Aubin is a successful
surgeon doing her part to help to save lives during the war. She is secretly in
love with her co-worker Alan Bell, but will never let on as he is married. Agnès
is a baroness but has a dark secret regarding her heritage that, during the
alliances in the war, she doesn’t want exposed. She and Alan go to Dragoncourt,
a château belonging to dear friends of hers, that has been turned into a war
hospital. While there, tragedy strikes, and Agnès must fight to protect her
patients, her friends, and herself.
Maddy is one of the family friends and is
at a finishing school in Switzerland. She decides that the war effort is far
more important and sneaks out of the school to join her family. When she
realises Dragoncourt has been commandeered by invading German soldiers, she
vows to rescue those imprisoned.
While this is not normally a genre I would
read, the author asked me to review the book and I was pleasantly surprised. First,
the story itself was full of depth and angst, and while a story about the war
would seem to be predictable, this one was told with such warmth it drew you in
quickly. Very often, when reading war materials, the emotion behind those who
have to “mop up” after the battles is never addressed and you only hear about
the incidents in the fights. This gives a beautiful insight into the bravery
the medical staff showed and the tough decisions they had to make while
observing their medical oath.
Agnès and Maddy are amazingly strong
characters. In the beginning I felt Maddy was rather flighty but she stepped up
and became a hero very quickly. I loved her monkey and their loving relationship
contributed to her helping Maddy in a most unlikely way. Agnès really showed
her mettle when put under the immense pressure she faced and the two ladies
deserved the accolades they received.
The writing is very comfortable to read and
flows easily. The action was balanced well with the emotional aspects and
although I did find certain sections a little too convenient and the ending a
bit sweet, the characters deserved it! The editing was very good and the one or
two mistakes did not interrupt the reading.
This book has definitely opened my eyes to
the genre and while not a beach read (there are parts that will definitely get
your heart going), it’s a beautiful book able to be enjoyed while curled up on
a couch with a cup of tea nearby.
