The City of Light is encased in smoke, the Eiffel Tower invisible. The dark cloud of WWII has arrived at the gates of Paris. Nineteen-year-old Charlotte, a German-Jewish artist, has learned to use her art skills to forge official documents, stamps, and signatures for refugees in danger of arrest by Vichy police. After fleeing Berlin, she thought the Nazis were out of her life forever, but now they're drawing close to Paris, so she and her father-figure/mentor, Mathieu must flee Nazis once again. It's June, 1940, and bearing false papers they leave their adopted home along with Charli's lover, Cesar, a fiery refugee from the Spanish war. During their exodus from Paris, they face German checkpoints and are strafed by machine guns, but they make it to the south of France alive where they meet up with Jules, a friend who's part of a secret resistance network. In the chaos of Marseille, Mathieu is arrested by Vichy police and imprisoned. Spies for the Germans are everywhere, so Charli and Cesar must be discreet and shrewd as they plot Mathieu's rescue. Charlotte's skills as a document forger make her an invaluable member of the team of resistors--a tireless and heroic group that includes the tenacious American freedom fighter, Varian Fry--to save refugees from capture by the police and the Gestapo. She learns to navigate the complex, secret networks operating in Marseille, a city where it can be impossible to distinguish friend from foe. As the war rages just outside her door, Charlotte learns that the stroke of her pen can mean the difference between life and death.
Industry Reviews
2023 BAIPA Book Cover Contest Winner in Fiction
2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction (1900s)
"Myers movingly conveys the traumas faced by her Jewish characters who flee Nazi Germany only to find themselves caught up in the turmoil of the 1940 Paris exodus and the early months of the occupation of France. Their involvement in Marseille's growing resistance movement highlights the crucial work of Varian Fry and Donald Caskie, who aided the escape of countless individuals pursued by the authorities. In this gripping story of a tumultuous period of history, Myers offers us a vivid and compelling read."
-Hanna Diamond, author of Fleeing Hitler and professor of French History at Cardiff University
“The Forger of Marseille transports you to interwar Europe, where you experience warmth, wine, and song in the caféeacute;s of Paris and also discover skills the forger must master to rescue Europe’s victims. In her historical novel, Myers reveals important figures such as Varian Fry, who saved thousands, and points an accusing finger at France as it capitulates to occupation and betrays its citizens. A lesson for nations of today and a call for peace through art.”
—Judith Berlowitz, author of Home So Far Away
“In this carefully researched and crafted novel, The Forger of Marseille, Linda Joy Myers tells the story of resistance by those who risked their lives to save others—one of the few bright spots in the Holocaust. While accurately portraying what went on in France in 1940, Myers weaves elements of love, tension, art, music, and the gradual unfolding of her characters as they begin to trust one another. Myers draws the reader in with her descriptive prose and insight into what individuals endured during that horrific time.”
—Merle R. Saferstein, former Director of Educational Outreach, Holocaust Documentation & Education Center, South Florida
“The Forger of Marseille is a historical gem! Myers delivers an absolute page-turner with just the right amount of suspense and laced with a gripping love story. The historical detail, pitch-perfect prose, and realistic dialogue makes this one unputdownable. You'll be thinking about these characters long after the last page is finished. Highly recommend!”
—Michelle Cox, author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series
“This well-paced story of an artist-turned-forger in WWII-era France weaves fictional characters with real-life people in a novel of gripping authenticity.”
—Barbara Stark Nemon, author of Even in Darkness and Hard Cider
