/

Whatever the reason and whatever the intended purpose, the barrage went on for what felt to Alix like an eternity. There was a brief lull after about twenty minutes, and they had just begun to think the worst was over when the sirens sounded again. A second wave of bombers swept across the sky, and again the anti-aircraft guns opened up. When the all-clear finally sounded and the noise of explosions ceased, they stood looking around over the city. In five different locations they could see thick columns of smoke rising from the outskirts.

‘It appears the suburbs have had the worst of it,’ Rivet said.

‘Thank God they haven’t hit any of our historic buildings,’ Marie Louise responded, but Rivet shook his head.

‘Don’t speak too soon. My guess is this was by way of a warning. Surrender, or we will reduce your beautiful capital city to ruins.’

Alix gasped. ‘Do you really think that’s what they expect – for us to surrender?’

‘What’s the alternative? The First Army has already surrendered. The Boches are almost at the gates. We have to prepare for German occupation.’ Rivet’s face was grim. ‘What we should be thinking about is how to resist, by all the means at our disposal.’

‘What could we do?’ Marie Louise asked. ‘We have no means of resisting, once they are in control.’

‘Oh, there are means,’ Rivet said, ‘if there are men – and women – ready to employ them.’

Alix looked across the city at the rising smoke. Perhaps the historic centre of the city had escaped, as far as it was possible to tell, but there were men and women living and working where those bombs had fallen, children too. They would just have been assembling in their classrooms for afternoon school. How many had been killed? How many had lost mothers or fathers? And now it seemed they must succumb to the heartless monsters who had inflicted that damage. Until that moment, the war had seemed distant, something that was happening to other people, a long way away. Now it had arrived on her doorstep. The momentary relief she had felt when the bombing stopped was replaced by a slow-burning anger.

‘If there is a way,’ she said, ‘then I will do whatever I can. You can rely on me for that.’

Praise for A Call to Courage:

“Another great book by this author based on wartime felt like I was in the story seemed so real”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book was by a new author to me. The story had me hooked from the beginning.
I loved reading books about WWII. I highly recommend this book.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Holly Green is a new author to me. I’m a big fan of WW11 books and this one got me hooked
from the first page. I highly recommend this book.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A fantastic story which takes place in occupied Europe during the Second World War.
Historically correct with actual historical events and real people woven into the story.
The characters capture your attention right from the very first page. You become invested in the
lives of Alex, Steve, Sasha and Leo and because this book is the first of a trilogy you feel
abandoned at the end of the book because you don’t know how events will play out for them
and have to wait for the next book to continue their story.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐