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	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
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Politics & government

PARIS UNDERCOVER

Matthew Goodman

A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship and Betrayal

Two best friends in their sixties rescued dozens of Allied servicemen with the French Resistance. They faced unforeseen consequences when one of them was stuck in a Nazi prison and the other wrote a memoir detailing their experience. Now the bestselling author of Eighty Days shares their incredible, never-before-told story.

Etta Shiber and Kitty Bonnefous are the unlikeliest of heroines: two seemingly ordinary women, an American widow and an English divorcée, living quietly together in Paris. Yet during the Nazi occupation, these two friends find themselves unexpectedly plunged into the whirlwind of history. With the help of a French country priest and others, they rescue untold numbers of British and French soldiers some of whom they bravely smuggle through Nazi checkpoints in the trunk of their car. Increasingly bold in risking their own security to save others, they now find themselves capable of performing extremely dangerous exploits. Ultimately the Gestapo captures them both. After eighteen months in prison, Etta, a New Yorker of Jewish descent, is returned to the U.S. in a prisoner exchange. Back home, hoping to bring attention to her friend Kitty's bravery, Etta publishes a wartime memoir about their work. Paris-Underground becomes a publishing sensation and Etta a celebrity. Meanwhile Kitty remains in solitary confinement in a Nazi prison. In researching this story, Matthew Goodman uncovered military records, personal testimonies, and Etta Shiber's own never-before-seen wartime letters. Together they reveal, for the first time, the shocking truth and many lies behind Etta's bestselling memoir and the unexpected far-reaching result of its publication. More than just a story of two women's remarkable courage, The Paris Line is also a page-turning account of deceit, betrayal, and personal redemption. Matthew Goodman is the author of four previous books of nonfiction. His book Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the Worldwas a national bestseller. His most recent book, The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team, received the 2019-20 New York City Book Award and was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. He has appeared on numerous national radio shows, including NPR's The Diane Rehm Show, All Things Considered, Back Story, and On the Media, and podcasts such as History Unplugged and Hang Up and Listen.

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Book Published 2025-02-04 by Ballantine HC

Comments

A smart, vividly realized account of a daring wartime escapade that turns out to be far more complex and problematic than it first appears, Paris Undercover is a gripping and provocative feat of historical investigationfull of surprises to the very end.

Just when it seems there is nothing more to learn about World War II, here comes this vivid story of an intrepid woman and her escape line, made more fascinating and poignant by its tangled afterlife.

This is an amazing story. It's so surprising and poignant to discover how these two middle-aged women, acting on their own, risked their lives to save Allied soldiers trapped in Occupied France. And the consequences of their heroism turn out to be even more extraordinary: dear friends enmeshed in a story of desperate survivaland betrayal.

A remarkable tale of a pair of unlikely middle-aged resisters . . . This is a fascinating book enlivened by exquisite detail and a deep sense of the humanity of its principal characters.

A genuine surprise: not a typical World War II history but a thoughtful examination of the sometimes-blurred lines between fact and fiction, and the dangers of telling other people's stories . . . Occupied Paris, escaped British soldiers in need of safe passage home, two elderly heroines, and others who want to profit from their storyall makes for a riveting read.

Of the countless books written about the French Resistance, Paris Undercover stands out as a true original: a riveting, masterfully researched exposé of the explosive reality behind the story of two women imprisoned by the Nazis for helping Allied soldiers escape from behind enemy lines. When one of the women is released early and publishes a falsehood-filled memoir, this portrait of courage and friendship morphs into a heart-pounding tale of betrayal that is impossible to put down.

With elegant language and his trademark meticulous research, Matthew Goodman peels back the layers of mythmaking to reveal a riveting true story that reads like a movie script and showcases the power of humans to persist in the face of overwhelming odds.