The White Venus

When you trust your enemy more than your family

June 1940. A village in northern France awaits the arrival of a garrison of conquering Germans. 

To their dismay, 16-year-old Pierre and his parents are forced to accommodate a German major. He is the enemy within their midst and, more pertinently, the unwanted lodger within their home. 

The problem, however, is that the German is annoyingly pleasant. The major, with a son of his own, empathises with Pierre in a way his father has never been able to. 

But when his father is arrested by the Gestapo, Pierre has to ask where his loyalties lie, and who are his friends and who, exactly, is the enemy. 

Desperate to prove himself a man, Pierre is continually thwarted by those he trusts – his parents, the villagers and especially Claire, the girl he so desires. 

Pierre's quest brings to the fore a traumatic event in the family's past, a tragedy never forgotten but never mentioned. Can Pierre confront his trauma, and prove himself a man in a country at war?

Part of The Love and War Series, novels set during the 20th century's darkest years.

20th Century Historical fiction with heart and drama.