The Heroes of Sainte-Mere-Eglise : A D-Day novel

The Germans arrived with a plan to occupy a village … … The French Resistance and Allied forces had other plans. “I absolutely LOVED this book. The Author did a brilliant job of drawing me in and me wanting to read even more.” Amazon review“One of the best historical fiction stories of WW2 that I have read, and I’ve read plenty” Amazon review“...I couldn’t stop reading, page after page, chapter after chapter!” Amazon reviewDescription:Sturmbannführer Gunther Dettmer stands on the border of Germany and France. He waits with the German war machine for the order from Adolf Hitler to start the western Blitzkrieg—the “lightning war.”Six hundred kilometers away, WWI veteran René Legrand plows his fields. He is enjoying the life he has made with his wife and two sons in the peaceful village of Sainte-Mère-Église. Since the end of the last war, he has tried to forget the atrocities he’d witnessed. Most of all, he has tried to forget the horrors he inflicted on others as the deadliest assassin the French Army has ever known, unaware he will soon need the skills of war he once used to perfection.His youngest son, Jean-Pierre, lives the life of a typical thirteen-year-old. He attends school, helps his father in the fields, and tries not to be nervous around the mesmerizing Angelique Lapierre. Events will soon force him to become a man, and along with his father, brother, and a small group of citizens, they harass their German occupiers and help the Allies prepare for the D-Day invasion.Guilty of nothing other than being Jews, the Shapiro family flee to Spain. They hope to make it over the treacherous Pyrenees Mountains before the Nazis capture them.In Fort Benning, Georgia, Captain James Gavin discusses a plan with Major William Lee to begin the U.S. Army’s first parachute platoon. Four years later, General “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin will descend through the night sky and into Normandy, France, along with the greatest invasion force the world has ever seen. These and others are the heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église.

The Germans arrived with a plan to occupy a quiet French village. The French Resistance and Allied forces had other plans. Sturmbannführer Gunther Dettmer stands at the Franco-German border, poised with Hitler's war machine to unleash the western Blitzkrieg. Six hundred kilometers away, WWI veteran René Legrand tends to his fields in peaceful Sainte-Mère-Église, trying to forget his past as the French army's deadliest assassin. He’s unaware that the skills he's buried will soon be needed again. For René's thirteen-year-old son Jean-Pierre, life revolves around school, farm work, and stealing glances at the captivating Angelique. As war engulfs their village, he must grow up quickly, joining his father and brother in a dangerous campaign to undermine their German occupiers and aid the approaching Allied invasion. Meanwhile, the Jewish Shapiro family races against time, attempting to escape across the treacherous Pyrenees Mountains into Spain before the Nazis close in. And at Fort Benning, Georgia, Captain James Gavin launches America's first parachute platoon—never imagining that four years later, as General "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin, he'll lead his men into the largest invasion in history. These are the heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église, whose lives will converge in the shadow of D-Day. In this masterfully crafted novel, J.D. Keene brings together the stories of civilians, soldiers, and refugees, creating an unforgettable tale of courage and resilience during history's greatest invasion. _______________________________________Praise for The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église:? ? ? ? ? One of the best historical fiction stories of WW2 that I have read, and I’ve read plenty? ? ? ? ? Edge of my seat and reading late into the night. Excellent story of soldiers, civilians and brave resistance fighters. ? ? ? ? ? I felt as though I had traveled back In time to the invasion. ? ? ? ? ? The historical accuracy is amazing, which helps with the credibility of the story. ? ? ? ? ? A must read for any WW2, Band of Brothers fans!? ? ? ? ? A fascinating telling of such an historic time!? ? ? ? ? Once started I could not put it down!