Young Brave and Beautiful - The missions of SOE agent Lt. Violette Szabo GC CdeG*

An unprecedented read on Authonomy. Movie rights, anyone? Thank you for posting this.

wow, you really do have something to write about. You must be very proud. An excellent example to all. Well done. Mike(the compulsive adventurer)

This sounds great! Well written and with an intriguing heiress -- a true life character !!! I'd like to experience this one as a traditional print book.

Dear Tania, Thank you for writing your Mom's story. Hope you'll read mine, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not & my unedited version, Tell Me True Love Stories of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Thanks, Susie :)

Tania, an absolutely astonishing piece of work. I first encountered Violette Szabo in the old black and white classic 'Carve Her Name With Pride' of course. I am also very much interested in that period and the behind enemy lines kind of story - please read my book 'The Partisan', at last a Russian war hero? - anyway back to your book. It reads like a docu-drama, full of facts and great atmosphere in the occupied France scenes. (I read 'Maquis' a few months ago but your book seems to put flesh on the bones of that book. You must be immensely proud of your mother...and of this book. HARPERCOLLINS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? PUBLISH THIS BOOK! LIKE, NOW! You're on my bookshelf

Tania, an absolutely astonishing piece of work. I first encountered Violette Szabo in the old black and white classic 'Carve Her Name With Pride' of course. I am also very much interested in that period and the behind enemy lines kind of story - please read my book 'The Partisan', at last a Russian war hero? - anyway back to your book. It reads like a docu-drama, full of facts and great atmosphere in the occupied France scenes. (I read 'Maquis' a few months ago but your book seems to put flesh on the bones of that book. You must be immensely proud of your mother...and of this book. HARPERCOLLINS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? PUBLISH THIS BOOK! LIKE, NOW! You're on my bookshelf

Tania, an absolutely astonishing piece of work. I first encountered Violette Szabo in the old black and white classic 'Carve Her Name With Pride' of course. I am also very much interested in that period and the behind enemy lines kind of story - please read my book 'The Partisan', at last a Russian war hero? - anyway back to your book. It reads like a docu-drama, full of facts and great atmosphere in the occupied France scenes. (I read 'Maquis' a few months ago but your book seems to put flesh on the bones of that book. You must be immensely proud of your mother...and of this book. HARPERCOLLINS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? PUBLISH THIS BOOK! LIKE, NOW!

Tania


Left you a comment in your message box...............

Wonderful story well written, and I will be glad to have it on my bookshelf. If i had one slight critique it would be to say that I enjoyed the opening scene so much I'd like to have seen it extended or perhaps the biographical backstory more fragmented through the book. I only say this because you drew me in so well at the beginning that it all felt very real and that feeling was somewhat fractured with the early arrival of biographical notes which seemed to push the present into the past. That said this is a book I would buy and I applaud you for allowing future generations to be inspired by a truly remarkable women.

Tania, what your mother did was heroic. And what a gifted daughter she left us. All the very best for this. it must be published. Shelved.
Lynn

Tania where are you? Of all the books on Authonomy this has got to be the one with the best chance of publication. There must be many thousands of us out there who are deeply interested in what your mother did who would buy this. It is beautifully written and given your personal connection and special knowledge, it is almost guaranteed to succeed. I do believe this. And I have put forward the suggestion in a thread on the Forum that this is one book that HC should look at even if, because you are rarely on site, it does not make the editor's desk in the usual way by getting to the top 5.
Good luck and my very best wishes. Phil.

Hello Tania,

Certainly this is an intriguing time in European history and I am fascinated with the French resistence fighters--having seen many movies on the topic. You do an excellent job of condensing a lot of historic information, description of characters and surroundings and create a flowing narrative. You also provide us with a French geography lesson! Funny enough I am currently researching France and I have one of those guide books handy.

I love the bilingual dialogue and the French flavors of your narrative.

Wonderful job. I will shelve when a space becomes available. Good luck with this book. I hope it reaches a wide audience.

Patricia

Who will ever forget watching 'Carve her name with Pride?' The breath-taking bravery of these women can never be exaggerated. Beautifully written and very evocative of its time and place, this book is a worthy memorial to all involved and especially to Miss Szabo. On my shelf. Patrick Barrett (Shakespeares Cuthbert)

Oh yes! A must read. My goodness, Carve Her Name was one of my Mother's favourite films. I remember watching it with her as a child. And now we have this long awaited special book. Absolutely wonderful beginning. Thank you for this.

I almost jumped off my chair with excitement when I saw your book. I work at The National Archives in Kew and we were all delighted when you visited a few years ago to look at your mother's records.

I was expecting a good read and I got it. You immediately SHOW what things were like for SOE agents dropped into France. The fear and the caution. French acent! Great. Oh, maybe not so great, because as you show with such skill, not all the French were on the side of the allies. So the tension mounts as she not only has to be wary of the Germans she has to be wary of the French too.

Backed.

Best wishes. Hope it gets published. I'll certainly buy a copy.

Joanna

Of all the books that I've seen on Authonomy this is one that I feel most certain will make it to the top, and will get published, whether by HC or by someone else. I have read enough to see that it is also extremely well written. So I have skipped my watch list and put it straight on to my bookshelf. I look forward to seeing this in the shops. All the best. Phil. (Hallam's Ghosts)

Tania,

This starts with excitement and tension, like a novel. Then it does turn into what you said it was - a biography. Nothing wrong with that, except that I was there with Violette, heart thumping with fear. Then you gave the reader a history lesson. If you can keep up the tension of the beginning it would work better.

But it is very good and I'm putting it on my shelf now.

Peter.

Violet Szabo was one of World War Two's heroes. This is a book that should be read, especially as it's been written by her daughter Tania. Tania, I wish you great success!

First chapter starts well. Great action. Leaves us waiting with baited breath for something to happen.
But then you took us out of Violette’s head and gave us what seems like an info dump. OK, I go back and check the genre. It is a biography. It starts as a novel and I suppose I was expecting to be drawn into an adventure.
This is well written and I wanted to read this story. It asks to be told. It is a history/biography and non-fiction and as such, I can’t fault it as such. I am not really qualified to give a thoughtful comment on this. I read it because it was something I was interested in. I think your writing is good and you create a picture of the time and the place. You show us a character who needs her story told. I like the way you get us into the heads of the characters. For these reasons, I will give you a shelf.