The Mademoiselle Alliance is an historical fiction story based on the real life Marie-Madeline Fourcade. She organized a spy network in France during WWII. It was amazing what she did against the Nazis at the age of 30. She had 2 young children that she left with her mother while she organized over 3000 resistance agents that faced life and death situations on a daily basis.
The story begins in Morocco where Marie-Madeline is living with her husband who she eventually leaves to return to France. I found that part of the story to be very confusing. Once she is in France I felt the story was easier to follow and understand, although there were many characters. It is certainly a story about a very strong willed woman.

Natasha Lester’s dual timeline creates the World of Intelligence lead by Marie-Madeleine Meric, the only female leader of a Resistance network in France during World War II. Said to have commanded with grace, courage, humility and flair, the Alliance grew to three thousand agents, mostly military men decades her senior. Agents known by animal names came to be called Noah’s Ark. Lester’s impeccable research, painstaking translations from French, and vast details of the Resistance movement keep the narrative moving from Moracco in 1928, to the end of the war in Paris, 1945. Marie-Madeleine’s dedication to her children and the love of her life, second in command, Leon Faye, create the angst and heart wrenching choices she faces as a mother and leader. Crossing borders in disguise, outwitting Nazis, the highs and lows of prison escape plans, separations, and reunions; all intriguing elements that keep hope alive. Like the Allies receiving maps of the Normandy beaches from Noah’s Ark agents, readers will discover newfound admiration and respect for the unimaginable fortitude of the Resistance fighters in The Mademoiselle Alliance.

DNF at 17%. Why, oh why, is part one written in a non-linear fashion? The rest of the book isn’t like this. All momentum for the 1930s is lost by going back to 1929 and her marriage and being jerked back and forth,

Very well researched. An absorbing story of Marie-Madeline Fourcade who headed up the resistance movement for France before/during WWII. Marie-Madeline proved herself to the network and allies before they knew she was a woman, so they had no choice but to continue letting her run the organization of up to 3000 spies during the war. Heartbreaking tales of determination and sacrifice, as well as torture and fear. The personal sacrifice of Marie-Madeline as a mother, sister, friend and daughter is mind-blowing, as well as the many many others who did the same. It is eye opening how many battles won, battles avoided, and lives saved because of this hard working underground network stealthily gathering and passing information. Their methods brilliant, their determination awe inspiring. This book had me so engrossed that when 2 people were outside my home, my first instinct was they were spying on me! HA! Talk about losing yourself in a story. Ms. Lester again has engrossing author's notes in the back detailing her inspiration and her research. So eye opening, and throughout this whole book I was in awe of the passion and determination for any of these people, and the people who helped them to keep their country moving toward a better future for the future generations. Amazing story, and amazing writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up!
THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE was a book that will particular stick out in this currently political climate. Following the only woman, Marie-Madeline Fourcade, to run the most important spy network against the Nazis in France during World War II, the overall themes cannot be ignored and make you think about the innate response of humans against what is wrong, even if it means sacrificing their lives. However, narratively speaking, the book was rushed and the characters were not well fleshed out, making this book, for me, full of potential and an important message, but not my favorite read.

This book is important in the sense that it reminds all those who read it about the personal sacrifice many made in order to defeat the Nazis. These individuals who never saw their families and died in order to give total strangers the ability to live without fear or retaliation for practicing their religion, for being themselves, for upholding personal liberties. These are the ideas that are present in the novel and they cannot be overlooked.

And it is obvious that the author respected those real life individuals. But for the sake of the story, the author had to pick between faithfully upholding the truth or fictionalizing aspects in order to get the narrative running smoothly. She chose the former. And, unfortunately, that left the plot choppy and the character growth lacking. Parts were confusing (apparently this spy network moved CONSTANTLY) and things would happen on the page with little to no warning or further discussion. And I didn’t really connect with the FMC because it felt like the author was trying to get through the plot. It just wasn’t a good balance as a book.

As a whole, I think this book gave me insight and respect for a woman who was overlooked in history: Marie-Madeleine Fourcade. But as a book, I struggled with it.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is the true story of Marie Madeliene, the 30-year-old women leader of the Alliance French resistance network during WWII. Filled with espionage, terror, horror and life affirming moments - this historical fiction is a must-read book for 2025. You will be in awe of the heroism of the French people struggling, resisting and surviving the Nazi occupation of France.

This beautifully written, researched book preserves and shares another woman’s story that may be lost to history without historical fiction such as the Mademoiselle Alliance.

I highly recommend this book - five stars.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the privilege of early read in exchange for a fair review.

Coming into this book, I already knew quite a lot about Marie-Madeleine Fourcade. Happily, this book begins at the beginning of her life in Morocco - and captures her fully. I appreciated the pace, not always breakneck, because war is grueling and exhausting and cruel and devastating. Her heroism shines through.

Thank you Natasha Lester for a thorough, inspiring read. I was prepared to take a break from WWII fiction. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grab the tissues! This sweeping historical fiction novel is the definition of “tear jerker.” I was so inspired reading about Marie-Madeleine’s sacrifice, determination, and fierce perseverance during WWII.

An incredibly inspiring and emotional read!

I could not think of a better book to have just read during Women’s History Month. Natasha Lester weaves together facts or as near to fact as know with as she refers to it a dash of fiction. This is the incredible story of Marie-Madeline Meric (Fourcade), the only female leader of a resistance network in France during WWII. As with all books set in war time, they are incredibly emotional, the acts committed, the conditions, the politics, gut wrenching. What is also evident, are the sacrifices made, the resilience and perseverance of individuals.

Be sure to read the editor's note at the end of the book for a detailed account of the research for the book and the liberties taken with characters and events to create this work of fiction. There is no doubt though, that Marie-Madeline was a remarkable woman. Through the courage, determination and love for her country, she and “The Alliance” she created and ran, played a significant role in creating freedom, to bringing a close to WWII. Lest we Forget.

Book releases early April.

The story begins in 1928, Morocco. Marie-Madeleine Méric, a spirited eighteen-year-old, is married to a man eight years older than her, an army officer working for the French Intelligence Service. By 1936, the marriage has deteriorated, and the adventurous Marie-Madeleine, now a mother of two, is helping to build a new French resistance network, to be named Alliance, and she will soon become its head, something unprecedented for a woman. From 1940 to 1945, the Alliance became a source of valuable intelligence as its more than 3,000 agents faced danger and possible death.

Natasha Lester is a must-read historical fiction author who writes about daring, remarkable women during WWII and post-war times. The Mademoiselle Alliance is a fictionalized story inspired by Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, a historical figure who was the only woman ever to lead a resistance network in France during World War II. This well-researched book sheds light on resistance efforts and a brave, intelligent woman who should be more well-known. After finishing the book, I immediately searched online to learn more about her life.

I am a Natasha Lester fan, no doubt there. And I loved this book. I love books about real women that are in a format that many more people will take it in, and recognize what women have been up against, and how they come through. This book is the story of primarily one woman, though there are many in the book, who changed the world, though most people will never know her name. Thanks for bringing her amazing story to light. The struggle, the family drama, the continued fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decision making and the endurance shows what can be done by sheer will of the human spirit. It's beautiful.

This was an interesting historical fiction story - strong female lead that takes you on a journey. I read it while in Paris so appreciated thinking about the history that this story revolves around. At times the writing was a little hectic and timing jumped around quite a bit.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester, an impressive work of historical fiction, tells the incredible true story of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the fierce head of Alliance and “the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France.”

Marie-Madeleine’s story is one of a mother, a patriot, a woman and a warrior. As always with her books, Lester’s research shines, her writing remains beautiful. This tale is a love letter to France, and to the woman who helped save her country from near certain defeat. It is also a moving, epic love story.

More people should know Marie-Madeleine’s name. And this remarkable book is a great place to start.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester comes out on 4/8.

A sincere thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

Read this if you like:
•strong females
•powerful story
•slow burn

I’m a huge fan of Natasha’s books. However this one just didn’t hit the same and was just okay. I think the inherent story was interesting, especially with the strong female character, but I found myself becoming disengaged at times. Thank you random house for eARC

I’m not the biggest historical fiction fan, but I am a fan of Natasha Lester books. And THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE is everything we’ve come to love about her books - badass female main character, France, history and a little romance. Such a good book!

🕵🏻‍♀️ The Mademoiselle Alliance - Natasha Lester

3 ⭐️ - This pains me! I wanted to love this one more than I did. After reading Lester’s last two books, I instantly became a huge fan. Her books have strong women, romance, historical fiction, fashion, war, and mystery. I was into it all!

This one just fell flat for me. While I loved the female badass main character and I love that Lester finds these women in history to talk about, it just got lost. There’s a lot of France - by that I mean towns, language, names, etc - which I knew going into it. It just felt overwhelming in this one. And there’s a lot of characters with multiple names (read the synopsis to find out why) that are hard to keep track of. I wanted to love it, truly I did, I just ended up feeling meh. BUT I won’t let this stop me from reading Lester’s backlist, which I still have a few left to conquer.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the early ARC. This one comes out 4/8!

Finally, a very courageous woman gets the recognition she deserves with this remarkable story.

Marie-Madeleine Méric was the leader of a 3,000 agent Resistance network in France during WWII. With intense research, Natasha Lester revealed how she ended up with this role during a time when most women were housewives taking care of their children. Not Madame Méric.

She was participating in car rallies with her husband’s disapproval. She wanted to be free and rather than stay with him in Morocco, she left with her two children and went to Paris. In 1940, at 30 years old, she had to do something about the Nazis taking control. She ended up stepping into the greatest journey of her life.

I almost didn’t get past the first page when it mentioned what would happen if she was arrested by the Nazis. It hit me hard thinking about the world news of today with fear spreading rapidly. This book had a progressive timeline of changes in Paris from 1940 to 1945.

Certainly, there was a lot going on and it had to be a difficult task to decide what to include in this story. It started strong yet, in the middle, there was a lot of detail and number of agents that made it move at a slower pace.

The best part was at the end when I wanted to reach out and hug this woman who was so brave. The Author Notes were full of warmth and wisdom like experiencing a wonderful dessert after a good meal.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 8, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is not your everyday WWII historical fiction novel. This book focuses on Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, France's only female resistance leader during WWII. I had never heard of her, and after reading this book and learning about all she contributed and sacrificed during the war, it's awful that her name is not in every history book telling her story. Lester did a great job of highlighting some of her triumphs while also discussing the battles she faced with people who were on the same side as her but did not value her input or opinions because she was a woman.

I have read other books by Lester, and she always does an overwhelming amount of research for her novels, which shine through and bring the story to life. This book is no exception to that. I appreciated the Author's Note that explained that Marie-Madeleine's memoir had conflicting information, material that was left out, and issues with translating it to English. Lester is honest that the whole truth of what this woman accomplished and went through is unknown.

The book was a little too long for me, particularly in the first half. It wasn't until about 50% that the story started picking up, and I was more engaged. The beginning was slow and sometimes repetitive. Once I made it to the second half, it picked up, I became more attached to the characters, etc. But this is not a quick read by any stretch of the imagination.

Also, know going in that there are a LOT of characters, who have multiple code names, so it can be hard to keep track. I understand why there are so many characters. In fact, Lester explained that she even combined multiple people to try to make things less confusing, but I had to go back and remember who was who a couple of times.

The focus of this book is so different from most WWII historical fiction books. This is not another read about people surviving the horrors of concentration camps (not that these books aren't important, they are, and you should absolutely read them!), in fact the camps are mentioned only in passing. Lester did a great job of picking her subject and sticking to it, Marie-Madeleine and the resistance work she and her agents were conducting.

Overall, I enjoyed the book once I got through the beginning. I am a fan of Lester's writing, but this is not my favorite of her books. I think my opinion would be different if the book was edited down a little more, so it wasn't almost 500 pages. But I loved Marie-Madeleine and this book has inspired me to learn more about her.

Thank you to @netgalley and Random House for this ARC. 1928: Marie-Madeleine Méric was in Morocco at her husband's side as he is gathering intelligence for the French government when she realizes she has a gift for spying. 1936: With her marriage at rock bottom, she is living in France when she meets an unlikely contact who thinks she would make an amazing spy. This true story of Madam Fourcade and the largest network of spies across France during WW2 is one that is still talked about. The way she functioned, recruited and all die hard allegiances she had regardless of her being a woman is fascinating. Great read! #TheMademoiselleAlliance #NatashaLester #RandomHousePub #April2025

wow! Wow! WOW! Natasha Lester just keeps getting better and better. The Mademoiselle Alliance follows the remarkable Marie-Madeline Fourcade, who was a resistance fighter in France during the Nazi occupation leading the Alliance under the code name Herrison. Because Marie-Madeline was a real person, Lester had the opportunity to let her dazzling research skills really shine throughout this novel, which was rich with details and quotes from Fourcade’s memoirs and contemporaries.

In Lester’s previous novels, we are often given multiple POVs at different points in time, but in The Mademoiselle Alliance, Marie-Madeline is centered. Her narrative jumps between her younger married days and WWII in the first section of the book, but then stays firmly in the 1940s for the remainder. I loved how Lester brings to life real people who did remarkable and amazing things in order to stop the Nazi regime. The amount of sacrifices those in the alliance network gave really touched my heart and I feel compelled to read more about them. Thankfully, in true Natasha Lester style, her author notes are rich with additional reading. I love that! I wish we would have gotten a little epilogue with some additional details for those who survived the war, but I understand the narrative choice for how Lester wrapped up the story.

5 enthusiastic stars and a HUGE thanks to Natasha Lester, Random House-Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this gorgeous novel.