The Germans arrived with a plan to occupy a quiet French village. The French Resistance and Allied forces had other plans.

Sturmbannfhrer Gunther Dettmer stands at the Franco-German border, poised with Hitler’s war machine to unleash the western Blitzkrieg. Six hundred kilometres away, WWI veteran Ren Legrand tends to his fields in peaceful Sainte-Mre-glise, 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 Ren’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 platoonnever 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-Mre-glise, 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.

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Praise for The Heroes of Sainte-Mre-glise:

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 travelled 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 a historic time!

Once started, I could not put it down!