Liberation

By: Imogen Kealey

Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins

Inspired by the true story of World War II's greatest heroine, this international bestseller and "cinematic treat" tells the story of Nancy Wake and the impact she had on the world (Publishers Weekly).
Hero. Soldier. Spy. Leader. Her name is Nancy Wake.
To the Allies, she was a fearless freedom fighter, a special operations legend, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo, she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world.

But at first, Nancy Wake was just another young woman living in Marseilles and recently engaged to a man she loved. Then France fell to the Nazi blitzkrieg. With her appetite for danger, Nancy quickly finds herself drawn into the underground Resistance standing up to Nazi rule. Gaining notoriety as the White Mouse, with a 5-million-franc bounty hanging over her head, Wake rises to the top of the Nazi's Most Wanted list—only to find her husband arrested for treasonous activity under suspicion of being the White Mouse himself.

Narrowly escaping to Britain, Wake joins the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and parachutes into the Auvergne, where she must fight for the respect of some of the toughest Resistance fighters in France. As she and her maquisards battle the Nazis, their every engagement brings the end of the war closer—but also places her husband in deeper peril.

A riveting, richly imagined historical thriller, Liberation brings to life one of World War II's most fascinating unsung heroines in all her fierce power and complexity. This is the story of one of the one of the war's most decorated women, told like never before.

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR LIBERATION:
"Kealey (a pseudonym for two coauthors) has written a heart-stopping reimagining of the exploits of a real-life heroine."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}People

"[A] thrilling debut with a fast pace, vivid set pieces, and a believable, larger-than-life protagonist. Featuring plenty of espionage and a memorable female lead, this is a cinematic treat for fans of wartime adventure novels."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}Publishers Weekly

"Readers who enjoy World War II fiction and stories of extraordinary women will savor this first collaboration between screenwriter Darby Kealey and novelist Imogen Robertson, which is slated to be a motion picture."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #262626}Library Journal

"Basing their novel on the real-life exploits of New Zealander Nancy Wake...Kealey emphasizes the challenges Wake faced and overcame in the face of gender prejudice on the part of her comrades...This is an exciting and super cinema-ready WWII thriller."—Booklist

"What a story, and Imogen Kealey tells it brilliantly. This is more than a heart-stopping and exciting adventure thriller: Nancy Wake is a heroine for our times, as well as for hers. The most extraordinary thing of all is that in its essentials, the story is true."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Andrew Taylor, author of An Unpardonable Crime

"Imogen Kealey has written a proper page-turning thriller, remarkably based on the true story of one of the Second World War's truly great heroines."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Ben Fergusson, author of An Honest Man

"The White Mouse is a Resistance heroine of legendary courage, daring and cleverness. Imogen Kealey conjures her rebellious, passionate character with conviction, insight and gritty detail."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Amanda Craig, author of Love in Idleness

"I absolutely raced through this, based on the incredible Nancy Wake, a real-life superhero. An astonishing, heart-thudding and unforgettable story, brilliantly told."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Jill Mansell, author of Miranda's Big Mistake

"A bold, blazing account of an astonishing woman in an extraordinary time, by a master storyteller. Vivid, harrowing, engaging, but above all compelling. A rare treat."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Robyn Young, author of the Brethren trilogy

Excellent

I’m new to audible & have found that listening to books I often get bored & have no idea what’s going on. This story took me away. I found I could not only listen but be entranced by the storyline, exciting characters, & love of historical references. I found it to be wonderful!

amazing

Lovely story only to find out it's true. Loved the narration and depth that was given. Narration is key and I found myself almost repeating her accent. I love historical novels and this was a well written book. I will read more from this author.

Liberation

you can't beat true stories, it's history. thank God there are "little white mice." Amen.

Exaggerated for Interest

Although this book took great liberty with the plot by adding a lot of fiction, changing dates, places and people, it does have its good points. I reminded myself that this woman really took on a roll that was more field work in areas of battle. How difficult it would be for someone who was not athletic with pre ious experience in sports or a career managing people. She needed to learn everything. She had to get the men to respect her and she had to earn that as well.

Very Good But Not Great

A great story that needs to be told of a truly amazing, courageous and inspiring woman. I feel that unfortunately the initial stories and description of Nancy were modernized in a way that, according to the reviews and in my opinion, put off some readers unnecessarily.

This is the first time I ever gave a less than positive review of a narrator. She does not even attempt a German accent for her German characters. So many other narrators do so and do so well. I also found it hard based on the narration to distinguish between the various male characters. They all sound similar and very British, even the French and German characters. It is these two issues that in my opinion keep this novel from being great. I highly recommend reading/listening to it for fans of this genre and fans of good strong women characters. It is wonderfully heartening to know this is based on a true story.