The Invisible Woman

Virginia will never again abandon France. Even if it means defying orders. This time she will stay until the liberation.

 

Hoping to discourage her from returning to France, Vera gave Virginia the grim details of the fates of all the wireless operators they'd lost in recent months.

 

"You can't bring them back by going and getting yourself killed," Vera had said.

 

"No, but I can help win the war."

 

"A noble motivation," Vera said. "Are you sure that's the only reason you want to return?"

 

It isn't. But Virginia didn't share that with Vera.

 

"You're a superwoman, just as the rumors said," says Aramis. "If your prosthetic leg weren't such a topic of conversation, I'd never have guessed. What's it they say you named it? Herbert?"

 

Cuthbert, she thinks, clenching her teeth.

 

Because the Gestapo took to calling her "the Limping Lady" when they started hunting her in Lyon, what she had once kept secret was exposed. As if she needed another reason to hate the Nazis. She's weary of people making a fuss about her leg, and most of all she's weary of this man. He has been talking since they met less than twenty-four hours ago, including telling her his real name, his day job, and details about his actual family. Most secret agents sneaking into Nazi-infested France might stay a little quieter, but Aramis is undeterred.

 

"With any luck, we can get you a stiff drink once we land," he continues. "Maybe the safe house will have a wine cellar they'll be happy to share for a small fee."

 

When he reaches across the dinghy to pat the concealed money bags at Virginia's hips, she drops the right oar, grabs his arm, and twists it.

 

"Never touch me again."

 

His eyes grow wide behind his spectacles. After a moment, she releases his arm and returns her hand to the oar. During the mere seconds she wasn't rowing, the dinghy turned,

respect for the historical record, a deep understanding of the subject, and the empathy to allow the character at the heart of the novel to shine through. Virginia Hall was a true hero and she comes to extraordinary life in this book. I loved everything about it, from Virginia s bravery to her frailties, to the enthralling evocation of life with the French Resistance during WWII, to the incredible courage of the ordinary people who fought for freedom and who are honoured here. If you only read one WWII book this year, make it this one." Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphans

Erika Robuck has given readers a precious gift. Her heroine, Virginia Hall, was a singular figure whose true life story is the stuff of inspiration and legend Nazi hunters, secret spy work from Paris to the Pyrenees, and epic feats of human goodness and bravery amid some of modern history s darkest moments. Robuck combines meticulous historical research with stunning prose and unforgettable characters to offer a book that is breathtakingly beautiful, and readers will not be able to put it down. Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen s Fortune

"Robuck has mastered the balance of weaving fact with imagination to bring history s intriguing and under-appreciated female figures to life. The harrowing exploits of WWII secret agent Virginia Hall are told with such nail-biting detail, there were times I had to close the book and wait for my pulse to drop. Absolutely riveting. Lee Woodruff, journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Those We Love Most 

The Invisible Woman is THE book for current times. The bigger-than-life heroine, Virginia Hall, and her band of Resistance fighters are ripped from the history books and put into glorious technicolor by talented author Erika Robuck. As a WW2 super-spy and French Resistance leader, Hall's sacrifices, courage, and endurance all done with a prosthetic leg improbably named "Cuthbert" was instrumental in expelling the Nazis from France. With gripping prose that brings the terror of war onto the pages, and highlights the selflessness of ordinary people fighting together for a cause, The Invisible Woman should be required reading for everyone today. Karen White, New York Times bestselling author

If you love historical fiction with a huge-hearted juggernaut of a heroine, The Invisible Woman is for you. This tense and vivid novel stands out because of its unforgettable main character. Virginia is a vigilant spy, a fearless soldier and an unflinching commander. And yet, despite her vows to remain otherwise, she also becomes a person with great love for the people she is striving to liberate. Her desire for victory and vengeance animates every chapter, and her conscience enlivens every page. When you like a character, and then admire her, and then want to meet her, you know the author has made her come uniquely alive. I read this book in a blur -- that's how compelling it was. Stephen P. Kiernan, author of Universe of Two and The Baker s Secret

"Erika Robuck's electrifying thriller The Invisible Woman is...an epic that is deeply engrossing." Shelf Awareness

Full of heart, this is a harrowing tale of survival and bravery during one of the world s darkest times." Booklist

"The novel has received a lot of positive attention and it should, for its strong, fascinating heroine and her cinematic derring-do. AARP.com