Charlotte Gray (novel)

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Charlotte Gray
CharlotteGray.jpg
First edition cover
Author Sebastian Faulks
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genre War novel
Publisher Random House Trade
Publication date
February 1999
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages399 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN 0-375-50169-X (first edition, hardback)
OCLC 39391219
Preceded by Birdsong  

Charlotte Gray is a 1998 novel by Sebastian Faulks. Faulks completes his loose trilogy of books about France with this story of the adventures of a young Scotswoman, Charlotte Gray, who becomes an agent of Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) assigned to work with the French Resistance in Vichy France, during World War II. Although denied by the author, the story and title character have been compared to the exploits of SOE agents Nancy Wake and Pearl Witherington. [1]

Contents

Film adaptation

A film based on the book was produced in 2001. It stars Cate Blanchett and was directed by Gillian Armstrong.

Plot summary

In 1942, a young Scot, Charlotte Gray, travels to London to take a job as a medical receptionist for a Harley Street doctor. On the train she talks to two men sharing her compartment, and one of them - who works for the secret service - gives her his card. Despite the war, social life in London is in full swing and the attractive, intelligent girl soon meets up with an airman, Peter Gregory. The temporary nature of life at the time is epitomised when she quickly loses her virginity and then falls in love with him. The romance is heightened when Gregory is sent on a mission over France and news comes back to Charlotte that he is missing in action. Charlotte spent much of her childhood in France and speaks the language fluently - a talent that the secret service wishes to exploit in its effort to support the French Resistance. Charlotte decides to throw in her job - which she has no talent for anyway, as the doctor informs her - and joins a Special Operations Executive (SOE)* training course. Once the SOE has grilled her on methods of interrogation, dyed her hair a mousy brown, and replaced her fillings, Charlotte is parachuted into France to complete a specified mission. But instead of doing her job and heading home, she sets out to find Gregory's whereabouts.

Historical reference

The SOE in France included a number of women. Most of these women were made members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. [2] F Section alone sent 39 female agents into the field, of whom 13 did not return.

The character of Charlotte Gray was based on a New Zealand-born Australian woman called Nancy Wake, who worked with the French Resistance near a village called Verneix in the Auvergne region. Married to a wealthy French industrialist, she was living in Marseille when the war broke out. Instead of escaping she became a courier for the resistance, but had to eventually flee to Spain and then England, where she was trained by the SOE. She was parachuted back into France on 29 April 1944 with an SOE team that supported a 7,000-strong resistance group in the Auvergne region. Her husband, Henri Fioca, was tortured and killed by the Gestapo for failing to reveal her whereabouts. [3]

Notice

The author received the Bad Sex in Fiction Award 1998 for this book. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Wake</span> Courier and SOE operative (1912–2011)

Nancy Grace Augusta Wake,, also known as Madame Fiocca and Nancy Fiocca, was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, and briefly pursued a post-war career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. The official historian of the SOE, M. R. D. Foot, said that "her irrepressible, infectious, high spirits were a joy to everyone who worked with her". Many stories about her World War II activities come from her autobiography, The White Mouse, and are not verifiable from other sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odette Hallowes</span> French resistance member (1912–1995)

Odette Marie Léonie Céline Sansom,, also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, code named Lise, was an agent for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) in France during the Second World War. She was the first woman to be awarded the George Cross by the United Kingdom and was awarded the Légion d'honneur by France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Pickersgill</span>

Frank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill was a Canadian Special Operations Executive agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrée Borrel</span> French espionage agent

Andrée Raymonde Borrel, code named Denise, was a French woman who served in the French Resistance and as an agent for Britain's clandestine Special Operations Executive in World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolande Beekman</span> French espionage agent (1911–1944)

Yolande Elsa Maria Beekman was a British spy in World War II who served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and the Special Operations Executive. She was a member of SOE's Musician circuit in occupied France during World War II where she operated as a wireless operator until arrested by the Gestapo. She was subsequently executed at the Dachau concentration camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Damerment</span> French resistance (1917–1944)

Madeleine Zoe Damerment was a French agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Damerment was first involved in escape lines helping downed allied airmen escape occupied France. She fled France in March 1942 to avoid arrest. After arriving in Britain, she was recruited by the SOE. Damerment was to be a courier for SOE's Bricklayer circuit but was captured by the Gestapo on 29 February 1944 upon arrival in France. The Gestapo knew she was coming because they had captured SOE radios and were reading SOE radio messages. She was subsequently executed at the Dachau concentration camp on 13 September 1944 along with three other female SOE agents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Rowden</span> British espionage agent (1915–1944)

Diana Hope Rowden served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and was an agent for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. Rowden was a member of SOE's Acrobat circuit in occupied France where she operated as a courier until she was arrested by the Gestapo. She was subsequently executed at the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Leigh</span>

Vera Leigh was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Hall</span> American SOE spy

Virginia Hall Goillot DSC, Croix de Guerre,, code named Marie and Diane, was an American who worked with the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in France during World War II. The objective of SOE and OSS was to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE and OSS agents in France allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. After World War II Hall worked for the Special Activities Division of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

<i>Charlotte Gray</i> (film) 2001 British film by Gillian Armstrong

Charlotte Gray is a 2001 British drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay was adapted from Sebastian Faulks' 1999 novel Charlotte Gray. It is set in Vichy France during World War II. The film stars Cate Blanchett, James Fleet, Abigail Cruttenden, Rupert Penry-Jones, Michael Gambon and Billy Crudup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl Witherington</span> British agent for French Resistance in World War II

Cecile Pearl Witherington Cornioley,, code names Marie and Pauline, was an agent in France for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers. SOE agents allied themselves with French Resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.

Jacqueline Nearne MBE, code named Jacqueline and Josette, was an agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by Nazi Germany and other Axis powers. SOE agents in France allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Nearne was a courier with the Stationer network operating mostly in the Clermont-Ferrand area. She worked in France for the unusually long time of 14 months and returned safely to England.

Muriel Byck was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in France during World War II. She died of meningitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lise de Baissac</span> Agent of the SOE

Lise Marie Jeanette de Baissac MBE CdeG, code names Odile and Marguerite, was a Mauritian agent in the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in France during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonya Butt</span>

Sonya Esmée Florence Butt, also known as Sonia d'Artois, code named Blanche, was an agent of the clandestine Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. SOE agents allied themselves with groups resisting the occupation of their countries by Axis powers. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied countries. The SOE supplied resistance groups with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Cormeau</span>

Yvonne Cormeau, born Beatrice Yvonne Biesterfeld, code name Annette, was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine organization, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), in World War II. She was the wireless operator for the Wheelwright network led by George Starr in southwestern France from August 1943 until the liberation of France from Nazi German occupation in September 1944. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers. SOE agents allied themselves with French Resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.

Phyllis "Pippa" Latour MBE was a South African-born agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organisation in France during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents in France allied themselves with French Resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Latour worked as a wireless operator in Normandy from 1 May 1944 until August in the same year.

Nancy Wake is a 1987 Australian mini-series on the exploits of New Zealand born Australian Nancy Wake during World War II as a female British Special Operations Executive agent based on Russell Braddon's 1956 book Nancy Wake: The Story of a Very Brave Woman. It was released as True Colors in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hind Farmer</span>

John Hind Farmer (1917–2012) was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. He was head of the FREELANCE network active in Auvergne from May to June 1944. Subsequently he worked for MI6 and is said to have been involved in a British plot to assassinate President Nasser of Egypt.

Madeleine Lavigne, code name Isabelle, was a member of the French Resistance and an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Lavigne parachuted into the Saône-et-Loire Department of France near Taizé on May 23, 1944 and worked as a wireless operator and a courier for the Silversmith network. She died of an embolism.

References

  1. Martin, Douglas (11 March 2008). "Pearl Cornioley, Resistance Fighter Who Opposed the Nazis, Is Dead at 93". International New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  2. Foot, M.R.D. (2004). SOE in France. 2, Park Square, Abingdon, Oxon.: Frank Cass Publishers. p. 48. ISBN   0-7146-5528-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. "Ashes of Charlotte Gray heroine scattered in France". TheGuardian.com . 11 March 2013.
  4. "BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Faulks beats Starr in bad sex award".