Code Name Helene

A rollercoaster ride full of danger and intrigue based on the extraordinary true story of Australia’s most beloved war heroine, Nancy Wake, now optioned for a television series starring Elizabeth Debicki.

In 1936 intrepid young Australian journalist Nancy Wake is living in Paris after witnessing firsthand the terror of Hitler’s rise in Europe, firing her resolve to join the fight to defeat the Nazis. When Nancy falls in love with a handsome French industrialist, no sooner has she become Mrs Henri Fiocca than the Germans invade and Nancy adopts another name, a codename – the first of many.

As the elusive Lucienne Carlier she smuggles people across borders and earns the nickname ‘The White Mouse’, along with a five million franc bounty on her head courtesy of the Gestapo. Forced to flee France for England, Nancy is trained by an elite espionage group under the codename Hélène. Finally, with mission in hand, she is airdropped back into France as the deadly Madame Andrée.

But the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed Nancy – and the people she loves – will become.

Based on the true story of a woman who saved countless lives, Code Name Hélène is a thrilling tale of unfaltering courage, remarkable sacrifice – and love.

About the Author

Ariel Lawhon is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Was Anastasia, Flight of Dreams, The Wife, The Main and the Mistress. Her books have been Library Reads, Indie Next, and Book of the Month Club selections. Ariel is the co-founder of SheReads.org. She lives with her family near Nashville.