Wow! I love reading non-fiction that reads like fiction. Paris Undercover is one of those books. Kitty and Etta are friends where one ends up betraying the other. Set in Paris at the onset through the end of the Nazi occupation. Using her own resources and wit, Kitty sets up an Underground Railroad to help British airmen and French resistance escape from behind enemy lines in the north to the neutral zone of the south. Etta (American) helps Kitty (British) until they are captured. After 18 months, Etta returns to the US. Whereas Kitty endures prison throughout the rest of the war. While Kitty is in prison, Etta writes a book about their time helping these men.

Put this on your to read list. It is a great option for book clubs.

Really incredible and thorough story, detailing Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous during WW2, what Kate, especially, accomplished, the impact of Etta’s book, and both of their captivity with the Nazis and afterwards.

Both their stories, but especially Kate’s was heartbreaking and horrific. It was inspiring learning of Kate’s continued courage and determination despite everything she went thru, and her attitude during and after I can’t even comprehend.

The writing of the book was really well done - despite being a nonfiction book, it was not dry and laborious to get thru like nonfictions often are, but really interesting and inviting. While there was a lot of detail about a lot of characters revolving around Kate and Etta, it built a very wholistic and invested picture in the people and not just the facts and events. It literally told a story. Part 2 with the details of Etta’s book and publishing itself got a little fact-laden but it was necessary to convey what was going on.

Overall I enjoyed the book despite the heavy and difficult subject and I was very glad I learned of Kate’s bravery and heroism. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this one and the history behind the story it was interesting and an felt it was researched.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

Thank you to Net Galley and publisher Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this interesting book on the lives of two women and their impact on wartime France during WWII.

First, it was fascinating and at the same time, distressing. From the publisher: Two women in Nazi-occupied Paris created a daring escape line that rescued dozens of Allied servicemen. With one still in a German prison camp, the other wrote a book about it—a memoir built on fabrications.

Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous are friends. Etta - an American woman -is befriended by Kate Bonnefous (an English divorcee living in Paris) and invited to live with her in Paris. In the build up to WWII in Europe, ultimately France becomes occupied by the Germans. Kate and Etta, with the help of several other French patriots, undertake a courageous, quiet and determined effort to make an impact by helping to smuggle prisoners of war and others out of occupied France and into safety. Ultimately they are discovered, captured by the Gestapo and imprisoned.

The book is incredibly researched with massive amounts of footnotes referencing historical documents and facts. Some of the book was difficult for me to read with the details of torture and their lives in prison. The impact of the imprisonment on their health and lives is devastating and yet they survive. Etta is released first as part of a prisoner exchange and returns to the U.S. She determines to write a memoir of her and Kate's experiences, believing -- and convinced by those who stand to benefit monetarily -- that by changing names and place specifications, there will be no repercussions on those who remain imprisoned. Ultimately when Kate is released she discovers what Etta has done and realizes how it had impacted her she feels incredibly (and in my opinion, justifiably) betrayed. Although both women survived, their friendship did not.

It wasn't an easy read - but the pace is mostly good, compelling and interesting. For those who are students of or deeply interested in life in Europe during WWII, I would recommend. The title includes the word "story" - this isn't a story as much as it is a detailed and presumably factual account of the courageous lives of these two women and others during a period of great sacrifice.

Wonderful story based on the friendship of Etta Shiber and Kitty Bonnefous who are thrown into circumstances unexpectedly. With the help of others these two brave women are able to rescue soldiers until they are ultimately captured.  Eventually Etta is released and sent back home to the United States where she writes a memoir based on her experience and Kitty as well. However, truths have been twisted and Kitty isn't even aware of what was written.  Matthew Goodman has now stepped in and after doing much research is able to tell the truth.  As you read you will find the story is so much more then a retelling of history but is also an account of friendship and redemption. This was a well written account and pieced together wonderfully.

This was an enthralling account of two seemingly ordinary women, Etta and Kate, who become unlikely heroines during the occupation of Paris during WWII. This book is both inspiring and heart-pounding. The author did a great job with research and really brought to life the extraordinary bravery of these women and the high-stakes world they navigated. The contrast between their fates of Etta and Kate adds a poignant layer to the narrative, highlighting the personal costs of their heroism. This story did a great job showcasing deceit, betrayal, and redemption. The book is not just a tale of wartime courage but also a gripping examination of the aftermath and the unexpected consequences of one woman's quest to honor her friend's bravery.

This riveting and well-researched account is a must-read for anyone interested in history, personal sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit.

5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

Okay, I know that WWII is really in vogue, but the premise of this novel was so interesting to me. It was about an American woman and an English-born Frenchwoman before, during, and after WWII. These two women that I had never heard of saved many Allied lives for about four months until they were caught, tried, and incarcerated.

There is a story within a story, but I will not share too many specifics. One woman writes a fictionalized story with ghostwriters about their story and the second woman is in German prisons for most of the war and finds out about this book after her release.

This is a very intense, well-researched, and interesting story. But, if you are not a history nerd, I wouldn't recommend it to you. It gave me a lot of feelings that I am still processing!

TRIGGER WARNING: Warfare, military invasion, medical diseases, starvation, rape, physical and mental abuse i.e. torture, incarceration, death by suicide, and just the overall horribleness of WWII.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7191314425 - posted 01/19/2025
booksbydorothea blog; https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/01/review-paris-undercover-earcebook.html - posted 1/19/2025

Paris Undercover is an interesting book about two fascinating women during WWII. Unfortunately, it was written mostly in exposition and the reader drifts off (this reader did) a lot. I skipped through it as some of it was such boring reading. And didn't think I'd missed much. It's too bad. Stories of great courage during that war are so inspiring and I think it's hard to make such a wonderful story so difficult to get through.

I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal. I've read a lot of WWII fiction over the last few years and will admit I didn't realize this book was nonfiction when I requested it through NetGalley. I mainly read historical fiction, but this book did not disappoint. While it had all the great information you'd expect from a nonfiction text, the description of what Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous did and endured read like a fictional account. Etta is an American widow who has moved to Paris to live with her friend Kate after the death of Etta's husband. Kate is British and divorced. The ladies are in their early 60's and enjoy life with their dogs in Paris when the German army moves in to occupy the city. Kate, called Kitty isn't one to sit around and wait for things to happen. She sees a need to help British and French soldiers, that get caught behind the German line, reach safety in the Free Zone of France. Both are eventually arrested for their crimes. Kitty is sent to a German camp and Etta is returned to the US during a prisoner swap. She returns to New York emotionally and monetarily broke. Etta is approached about writing the story the work she and Kitty did in France and tells her story to a ghostwriter. The story is embellished quite a bit for publication during the war, which proves devastating for Kitty, who is still held as a prisoner in a German camp.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book.

This meticulously researched and compelling book tells the extraordinary story of two courageous women, Etta Shiber and Kate Beonnefous, who risked their lives during World War II to save others. Though lengthy, it offers a captivating and deeply insightful narrative that highlights the incredible sacrifices and risks women undertook during this tumultuous period. Expertly written and engaging from the very first page, this historical account is both inspiring and unforgettable.

As with all true books about this era the content is harrowing, deeply unpleasant and highlights incredible people with the most amazing strength of character. The fact that the USA (irony!) seems to be going down the same road as Nazi Germany now makes the book even harder to read. Well researched. A bit slow going at times. Two supremely strong women whose story should be much more well known, maybe if we knew more about people like them and taught it in schools the world might be a better place.
Heart breaking made more so because the US is heading down the same road.

attentisme…..They would wait and see.

An underground movement during WWII told from the point of view of two older women. These women were heroes and as I read I realized I have never read a book from this perspective before. I read so many WWII historical fiction books and this was very different.
This is a compelling non-fiction book that was well documented.
An unbelievably heartbreaking story of Etta and Kitty and their bravery.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for- Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book.

Story is the story of American Etta Shiber and English Kate Bonnefous. Information about their lives - how they
met. What it was like living in occupied France and the aid they gave to French and British soldiers. Both women
were imprisoned and suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Impressive research by the author to uncover the
true story of the two women.
#ParisUndercover #RandomHouse #BallantineBooks #NetGalley

Occupied France, biography, nonfiction, bravery, torture, imprisoned, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, due-diligence, heroism, friendship, families, maps, documented, Americans, British, WW2****

This long and sometimes ponderous nonfiction tome delves into the lives, personalities, and personal histories of American Etta Shiber and English Kate Bonnefous and their bravery and suffering in occupied France at the hands of the Gestapo. These women were not Ingénue but more middle-aged and the dangers they were subjected to bears remembering. The author has well documented a deep dive into their personal histories as well as the published events.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof advance reader's copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley. Thank you! Pub Date Feb 04, 2025
#ParisUndercover by #Matthew Goodman #penguinrandomhouse #ballantineBooks
#NetGalley #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble **** Review #WW2France @booksamillion @bookshop_org #nonfiction @bookshop_org_uk @kobo @Waterstones

“Paris Undercover” is a non-fiction WWII book by Matthew Goodman. This book tells the story of two women - American Etta Shiber and English Kate Bonnefous. Mr. Goodman does a great job diving into the lives of the two friends and details how they helped numerous English and French soldiers trapped behind enemy (Nazi) lines escape their predicament. Mr. Goodman’s research is, as always, fantastic and interesting. The book is told in three sections - life before Etta and Kate’s arrest, Etta’s subsequent release and writing the book about their WWII experiences, and Kate’s eventual freedom and aftermath. There were a number of supporting characters, but I found Mr. Goodman’s background information, for the most part, rather interesting as it gave me something to apply to the characters. At times, the story did drag a bit (there’s a lot of information to convey to the reader) but I found the story of Etta and Kate to be an interesting one.

This book is fiercely sad and heart-breaking, but it’s a must read. It’s history from WWII of an underground movement from the point of view from two brave women.

We know almost immediately that Etta Shiber survived the war after 18 months in a dirty, cold prison for assisting the British and French soldiers. She was an American living in Paris when she was taken away by the Germans, accused of aiding the enemies. With the right connections, she was able to escape from the horrors and return to NYC in 1942.

Kate Bonnefous was not as fortunate with what happened later. She was always charitable with close ties to England where she was born and France where she owned a Paris dress shop. That’s where she met Etta who was visiting in 1926. After Kate’s separation from her husband, she moved into a two-bedroom apartment and asked Etta to join her in 1937. The answer was a supportive yes.

The women were different in various ways and yet, they seem to balance each other like two parts of a whole. When Paris was invaded by the Nazis, Kate was eager to help and Etta followed her lead. Their secret missions were dangerous. They always knew with any type of mishap, they could be arrested by the Germans. You could feel the tension.

We know from WWII historical accounts that there was a lot of blood on the streets, dead bodies and violence. Yet, there was also very caring people. The details with what happened to these women and so many others provide readers with an image of good versus evil. For me, there were tears when I read about a priest who was taken away.

Too often, as we know, history repeats itself. This was a time when books were banned: Shakespeare, Thomas Mann, Virginia Woolf and Jewish authors. The Right-wing politicians told the people in France that immigrants were stealing jobs and making it dangerous. Sound familiar? I had to recheck the dates.

The book was captivating from the start and it stays with you. It takes us to a time in history not that long ago when women didn’t have as many rights, people starved and there were more health challenges. It also shows compassion, transformation, and strength within.

It’s expertly written from numerous historical accounts, wartime testimonies, birth and death records, news clippings and case files. It must have taken years to accumulate this information from researchers, librarians, authors, genealogist and relatives with personal letters. At the end, there are pages of notes and books.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 4, 2025.

4 stars for a story of courage and friendship with some tragic consequences. Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous live together in a Paris, France apartment at the start of WWII. Etta is an American widow who has been invited by Kate to come and live with her. Kate is an Englishwoman who has been living in France for many years. She is married to Henri Bonnefous who lives in the south of France. Henri and Kate remain friends, although they live apart. Shortly after France falls to the N**i blitzkrieg, Kate decides to help British soldiers caught behind enemy lines to escape and Etta follows her lead. Etta is a rather shy person, but does everything that Kate asks.
They manage to help between 20 and 40 soldiers escape.
But they are captured by the Gestapo. Kate is subjected to vicious torture, but refuses to talk until the Germans capture her son and threaten to torture him and execute him. Once they get all the information possible from her, they send her to a prison camp with no further torture.
Etta is exchanged by the German government for a spy imprisoned by the US government. She is hailed as a hero. A book publisher approaches her for an interview. The book telling her story inflates the 20-40 figure to 200. The book has other lies.
The Gestapo learns of the inflated figure and subjects Kate to gruesome torture, because they want more information.
Kate does survive the war, but with long lasting health issues caused by the horrific torture that she received. The author did a great deal of research into military and government archives plus finding letters written by both Etta and Kate to unearth the true story of Kate and Etta. There are extensive footnotes documenting his research.
I was impressed by these two women and their exploits. I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about courage in the face of evil. Warning: torture descriptions are horrific.
Thank You Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#ParisUndercover #NetGalley.

Pub Date Feb 04 2025

This historical account of two older women who became heroes during the Nazi occupation is extremely compelling and informative. I’ve read many books on WWII but nothing from this perspective. There are numerous characters but it’s not difficult to keep track of them because the writing is spectacular. I found the beginning of the book a bit hard to get into but it definitely picks up midway through. If you enjoy history, this is a must read.

In the last several years, we’ve seen an explosion of novels about young women in Europe during World War II. I tend to avoid these, since they are so often unrealistic and avoid the harsh truths of war, impossible choices, and its long grind. But Matthew Goodman isn’t writing fiction here, so I thought I’d give the book a try.

Unlike in most of today’s fiction about women in WW2, in Paris Undercover, the featured women are middle-aged. Etta Shiber moved from New York to Paris after her husband and cousin died, to live with her friend, a British divorcée named Kate (a/k/a Kitty) Bonnefous. They’re shocked when France is quickly invaded by the Germans, but like so many, they return to Paris after initially fleeing south.

Kitty is a volunteer with aid services, and gets the idea to use that status—and her car—to help smuggle downed Allied pilots out of France. She persuades the hesitant Etta, and they succeed in numerous of cases, but are finally caught by the Nazis. Both were sentenced to death, but had their sentences commuted to life in prison. Of course, the prisons were the dreadful Nazi kind. Etta was lucky enough to be sprung in a prisoner exchange after 18 months, but Kitty was transported to a German prison.

Back in the US, Etta is persuaded to give interviews that will be made into a novel about Kitty. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say how that turned out; just that it isn’t what Etta (naïvely, at best) anticipated, and just as you’d expect today, the book (and later movie) people make the lead characters younger and the plot sensational. In this book, Goodman presents the real story, discovered through painstaking research, details how Etta’s book came to be, and reveals Kitty’s life after arrest. It isn’t the kind of story you usually read in historical fiction, where all the female leads are attractive and unflinchingly brave young women who find time for romance in the midst of war, there are no moral ambiguities, and all plot threads are neatly tied up in the end. This is a true story, populated with all-too-human characters, filled with moral frailty. My only quibble is that Goodman has seemingly put every bit of research on the page, which means the read can be plodding at times. Still, it’s better to read a real story about WW2 than the historical dress-up romance novels that glut the book market.

A little hard to get into, but nonetheless an interesting read. I loved reading about atypical heroes from World War II. We always hear about the young heroes in the war, the young women at home working as spies, but this one revolves around women with grey hair, women in their 60's. Women who, in their own words, were quickly and easily overlooked. I loved the different POV and recognizing people who are overlooked in society because of their age. It made them so invaluable and capable of helping. How many more heroes do we know nothing about?