Liberation - by Imogen Kealey

Book Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of World War II's greatest heroine, this international bestseller and "cinematic treat" tells the story of Nancy Wake and the impact she had on the world (Publishers Weekly).

Hero. Soldier. Spy. Leader. Her name is Nancy Wake.

To the Allies, she was a fearless freedom fighter, a special operations legend, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo, she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world.

But at first, Nancy Wake was just another young woman living in Marseilles and recently engaged to a man she loved. Then France fell to the Nazi blitzkrieg. With her appetite for danger, Nancy quickly finds herself drawn into the underground Resistance standing up to Nazi rule. Gaining notoriety as the White Mouse, with a 5-million-franc bounty hanging over her head, Wake rises to the top of the Nazi's Most Wanted list--only to find her husband arrested for treasonous activity under suspicion of being the White Mouse himself.

Narrowly escaping to Britain, Wake joins the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and parachutes into the Auvergne, where she must fight for the respect of some of the toughest Resistance fighters in France. As she and her maquisards battle the Nazis, their every engagement brings the end of the war closer--but also places her husband in deeper peril.

A riveting, richly imagined historical thriller, Liberation brings to life one of World War II's most fascinating unsung heroines in all her fierce power and complexity. This is the story of one of the one of the war's most decorated women, told like never before.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR LIBERATION:
Kealey (a pseudonym for two coauthors) has written a heart-stopping reimagining of the exploits of a real-life heroine.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}People

Readers who enjoy World War II fiction and stories of extraordinary women will savor this first collaboration between screenwriter Darby Kealey and novelist Imogen Robertson, which is slated to be a motion picture.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}Library Journal

[A] thrilling debut with a fast pace, vivid set pieces, and a believable, larger-than-life protagonist. Featuring plenty of espionage and a memorable female lead, this is a cinematic treat for fans of wartime adventure novels.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}Publishers Weekly

A bold, blazing account of an astonishing woman in an extraordinary time, by a master storyteller. Vivid, harrowing, engaging, but above all compelling. A rare treat.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Robyn Young, author of the Brethren trilogy

Basing their novel on the real-life exploits of New Zealander Nancy Wake...Kealey emphasizes the challenges Wake faced and overcame in the face of gender prejudice on the part of her comrades...This is an exciting and super cinema-ready WWII thriller.--Booklist

I absolutely raced through this, based on the incredible Nancy Wake, a real-life superhero. An astonishing, heart-thudding and unforgettable story, brilliantly told.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Jill Mansell, author of Miranda's Big Mistake

Imogen Kealey has written a proper page-turning thriller, remarkably based on the true story of one of the Second World War's truly great heroines.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Ben Fergusson, author of An Honest Man

The White Mouse is a Resistance heroine of legendary courage, daring and cleverness. Imogen Kealey conjures her rebellious, passionate character with conviction, insight and gritty detail.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Amanda Craig, author of Love in Idleness

What a story, and Imogen Kealey tells it brilliantly. This is more than a heart-stopping and exciting adventure thriller: Nancy Wake is a heroine for our times, as well as for hers. The most extraordinary thing of all is that in its essentials, the story is true.--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Andrew Taylor, author of An Unpardonable Crime

About The Author

Imogen Kealey is the pseudonym of American screenwriter Darby Kealey and British novelist Imogen Robertson, who bonded over their desire to tell Wake's story. Liberation, their first novel as Imogen Kealey, is currently in development as a major motion picture.