‘Are you German or are you French? Are you working against Germany or for it? Are you telling me the truth, or are you a very accomplished liar?’
Lavender farmer Luc Bonet is raised by a wealthy Jewish family in the foothills of the French Alps. When the Second World War breaks out he joins the French Resistance, leaving behind his family’s fortune, their home overrun by soldiers, their lavender fields in disarray.
Lisette Forestier is on a mission of her own: to work her way into the heart of a senior German officer – and to bring down the Reich in any way she can. What Luc and Lisette hadn’t counted on was meeting each other.
When they come together at the height of the Paris occupation, German traitors are plotting to change the course of history. But who, if anyone, can be trusted? As Luc and Lisette’s emotions threaten to betray them, their love may prove the greatest risk of all.
From the fields of Provence to the streets of wartime Paris, The Lavender Keeper is an extraordinary, moving story of action and adventure, heartbreak and passion, devotion and treachery from an internationally bestselling author.
Reviews:
‘This poignant, romantic read also packs a surprising hit of action.’ INSTYLE
‘This book is fast-paced, beautifully haunting and filled with the excruciating pain of war.’ WEST AUSTRALIAN
‘A fine read . . . The moral ambiguity McIntosh builds into the novel gives it a depth that takes it beyond a sweeping wartime romantic thriller.’ SUNDAY HERALD SUN
Book Club notes:
- Was it fair to recruit young women, like Lisette Forestier, as spies during the war? Discuss the dislocation, fear and loneliness such women experienced and the courage required.
- Could you have played Lisette’s role in WWII for king and country?
- Do you sympathise with the Maquis and the other collaborators in the novel, such as Monsier Fougasse and Madame Marchand? Do you think the author does?
- Was Luc justified in killing Milicien Landry? Can there ever be justification for playing judge and executioner?
- Discuss the two main settings of the novel – the Luberon, ‘like a laughing country girl’, and Paris, the ‘chic woman’. Which one appealed to you more?
- Was Colonel Markus Kilian a hero or a villain?
- In your opinion, did Lisette choose the right man?
- Do you think Lisette took her responsibilities one step too far and crossed a moral line?
- Have you ever met a more evil literary villain than Captain Frederic von Schleigel?
- Discuss the symbolism of the lavender in this story.