Product Description

Ann Widdecombe turns to a totally different period and a different milieu: the French resistance in the Second World War, for a new and just as compelling novel. Catherine Dessin is fifteen and still at convent school when the Germans enter Paris in 1940. Her parents are patriots and she is taught to hate the enemy, but two years later she falls in love with a senior and married German officer, defying the anger of her family and friends. The strains which this act of treachery place on those who love her and the tensions it create as she turns from her Roman Catholic upbringing form the background to an unusual and doomed lovestory. Catherine grows up abruptly when Klaus, the German officer, returns from a spell home having realised for the first time the evil of the regime he is serving. Klaus now struggles with his own conflict of loyalties - between Catherine and his family and between his patriotic duty and his hatred of Nazism. Wary of those on whom they should rely, they become closer to each other. Rejected by her family, quietly ignored by friends, Catherine has to cope with the unforgiving aftermath of liberation. With insights into character that were widely recognised in her first novel, Ann Widdecombe twists and turns the plot to a surprising yet satisfying conclusion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #878489 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
Ann has now finished her main tour, ending on Friday with a signing at John Lewis in Bluewater where we sold 125 copies, a pretty good note to end on! She still has a further 9 events to do throughout the rest of the year. The launch party at the Imperial War Museum on 11 July went extremely well with diaries stories running in the EVENING STANDARD, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, THE OBSERVER, THE TIMES and INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY. And just to remind you of all the publicity that she has done:Extract and first interview in Night and Day (THE MAIL ON SUNDAY), 16 June together with interviews in THE TIMES, 9 July, THE INDEPENDENT, You Ask the Questions, 25 July, THE SUNDAY EXPRESS, 7 July, THE GLASGOW HEARLD, 1 July, SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY, 7 July, METRO 60 SECOND INTERVIEW 22 July, HELLO Magazine (on the books page), YOURS MAGAZINE (Sept issue), THE SUNDAY TIMES Relative Values, STEVE WRIGHT SHOW (BBC Radio 2) 5 July, START THE WEEK (BBC RADIO 4) 8 July, C5 NEWS on 8 July, LBC, HEART 106.2FM, BBC RADIO NORTHAMPTON, BBC RADIO SCOTLAND, BBC HEREFORD AND WORCESTER, BBC RADIO WALES, BBC RADIO SUFFOLK BBC GMR, BBC RADIO YOUK, BBC RADIO WM, DREAM 107.5M, SUNDAY MERCURY (Birmingham), YORKSHIRE EVENING PRESS and THE EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES. Most of the national papers have now reviewed the book and as we predictedsome of the literary editors have let their reviewers review Ann rather thanthe novel but we've also had some which have reviewed the novel producing some good reviews: 'The novel is very well structured....... Widdecombe is to be applauded for the range of her ambition within this book: the admirably large cast of characters is well handled; their dilemmas are believable and the narrative makes for compulsive reading. What is more, AN ACT OF TREACHERY seems fuelled by a genuine passion for an understanding acrosss nations and borders.'Bell Mooney, THE TIMES 'She shows insight into the difficulties of ordinary people responding to the enemy in everyday encounters and the gradual deterioration in the position of the Jewish population. Her plot has ingenious twists which surprise the reader and her prose has pace.'Sarah Curtis, THE TLS'Widdecombe's point is a powerful one: that everyone is compromised in war and that only love commands real loyalty.'Wendy Holden, THE DAILY MAIL 'Miss Widdecombe's research is good and description of life in occupied Paris convincing.'Maggie Pringle, THE EXPRESS 'An ambitious novel,...stuffed full of interesting moral themes.'Caroline Moore, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'An intriguing story, which seems destined to end in disaster until the unexpected twist in the final pages.'GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'I fully expected to want to put this book down after the first 20 pages. By page 30, I was hooked...... Widdecombe's betrayalof life in occupied France is both graphic and moving. Her research has beenextensive and she avoids sterotypes. Her story develops gradually and impressively towards its conclusion, which although not a surprise, is still shocking.'Iain Dale, THE TRIBUNE Together with reviews in the EVENING STANDARD, DAILY TELEGRAPH and SUNDAY TIMES. We still have reviews to come in the NEW STATESMAN and THE SPECTATOR. AN ACT OF TREACHERY was also featured as one of the DA

About the Author
Tory MP for Maidstone. In John Major's Government she was Home Office Minister under Michael Howard, and Shadow Home Secretary during William Hague's period as Tory party leader. Unmarried and a Roman Catholic convert. Has been writing since at school where she won essay prizes.

Customer Reviews

It WAS a gripping read!
I found Catherine's story both beautiful and tragic, and a work its author should be proud of. Although a romantic at heart this was the first novel which actually made me cry. Widdecome's efforts surpassed my expectations and regardless of the criticism of authenticity and realism by the last reviewer, should be recommended as a story of forbidden love with heartbreaking comsequences. Even though it was set prior, during and subsequent to WWII, younger readers should not feel discouraged, as I myself, with no experience of the war first hand, found this to be no obstacle at all.
Widdecombe's evokes sympathy, anger and heartbreak in the reader and is in every sense a powerful read.

Have you been 17 and in love?
I read this book a while ago but still find it moveing to think about it's storyline. The insular quality of the protagonist is much like any teenager in love in that she does not worry about details in the war that do not concern her, for her the France she lives in is all about her lover. Well written and moving! I read the sequel too.

A missed opportunity
This is the first novel I’ve read by Ann Widdicombe. I have respect for her as a politician as I see her as a very sincere person.
If an unknown author had written this book it would probably never have made it into print. Ms Widdicombe has chosen a difficult subject. While I am sure she did research the period it somehow does not feel authentic.
She writes in the first person as a young girl in mid teens emerging into adulthood in occupied France during the Second World War. Unfortunately the ‘voice’ coming through is that of the author rather than the character. I feel much more could have been made of the real fear there was at this time and the dreadful reprisals meted out on the French people.
It’s highly unlikely a German General could overlook the undercover work of his girlfriend’s family, although in the end a search was made of the family home little was made of this.
References were made to the Jewish friend who disappeared with her family but again they were rather left in the air.
I am sorry to say the whole book is one dimensional and rather superficial.