Sisters of the Resistance
If it wasn’t for her work during World War II in Paris, Catherine Dior might only be remembered as the sister of the famous designer, Christian Dior. But Wells’ new novel, Sisters of the Resistance, brings to light the heroic efforts by Dior to help save her countrymen in the waning days of the war. Told primarily through the eyes of fictional sisters Yvette and Gabby, the story can be seen as an homage to the women whose brave actions were integral to the underground French resistance.
Yvette and her sister live in Paris during World War II. Due to Yvette’s work and where they live, the sisters become embroiled in an intricate operation in the French resistance, spearheaded by Catherine Dior. But when the war is over, Yvette flees to New York City.
In 1947, Yvette is summoned to France to give testimony in a legal case involving a woman accused of being a spy. Yvette is hesitant to see her sister and mother after she fled Paris several years earlier. Gabby is now living a modest life as the caretaker of apartments in Paris. She is mourning a lost love and misses her sister, who has failed to keep in touch from America. When Gabby attends a Christian Dior fashion show and spots someone who looks exactly like her sister on the runway, she is shocked.
The book has it all: high fashion, spies, romance, loss, healing, mystery, sisterhood, friendship, and strong female protagonists. The two timelines can be a little confusing to keep track of, particularly as they take place only a couple of years apart, but in general, it is a fast-paced, well-told story that transports the reader to a memorable time in world history.
