Nazi-occupied Paris, 1942. Clarisse clutches her camera as hundreds of police swarm the streets. Through her lens she spots a terrified brown-eyed little girl being carried screaming into a truck, her yellow star hanging crooked from her threadbare coat. Clarisse rushes forward to help, but the truck pulls away...
With a fake name written on the papers in her pocket, American photographer Clarisse Alarie knows the dangers of Paris better than most. Haunted by the sight of children being dragged away and carrying a photograph of the brown-eyed little girl everywhere she goes, Clarisse is desperate to make a difference. Meeting handsome resistance fighter Louis is her chance...
Louis introduces Clarisse to Caf Capoulade and his underground network of brave men and women fighting tirelessly to end the occupation. Soon, Clarisse is risking her life every day. Taking photographs of the terror that has overcome the beautiful city, Clarisse follows members of the Gestapo and hides in plain sight in order to gather evidence of their terrible crimes.
But Clarisse soon learns of the over-crowded cattle cars leaving Paris carrying even the smallest children, bound for an unspeakably terrible place... Is she already too late to rescue the little girl with the brown eyes? And when Louis himself is arrested, will Clarisse risk everything the network has worked so hard for to save them both?
Set around true historical events that shook the world, The Secret Photograph is a sweeping and utterly gripping wartime tale of courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable terror. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and Soraya M. Lane will be totally hooked.
Readers love Siobhan Curham:
'From the very first page of this book I was hooked... This story had me ugly crying... an emotional rollercoaster... I read this book cover to cover in under 24 hours... One of the most powerful books I have read.' @thebookreadingblonde, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Hands down the best historical fiction book I've read... An absolutely amazing, captivating novel... A heartbreaking, moving story I loved... I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Wow! I am at a loss for words... Incredible... Kept me on the edge of my seat... It broke my heart... I could not look away from the pages for a second. I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish... A must-read.' Musician's Poet, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Left me speechless. So heartbreakingly beautiful. Probably one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given to a novel... I was hooked within the first few minutes, some parts just left me speechless and with tears in my eyes. So be aware, this book will tug on your heartstrings like no other has before!' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐