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The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église
A D-Day novel
Brief Description
The Germans arrived with a plan to occupy a quiet French village. The French Resistance and Allied forces had other plans. Sturmbannführer 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 René...
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The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église
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A small French village determined to survive conspires to oust its Nazi occupiers
Hitler's war machine is poised on the Franco-German border. Six hundred kilometres away, the unassuming village of Sainte-Mère-Église holds its breath. Soon, lives will converge. Under the looming shadow of D-Day, soldiers, civilians and refugees will become heroes.
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Description
The Germans arrived with a plan to occupy a quiet French village. The French Resistance and Allied forces had other plans.
Sturmbannführer 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 René Legrand tends to his fields in peaceful Sainte-Mère-Église, 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 René'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 platoon—never 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-Mère-Église, 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.
_______________________________________
Praise for The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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!
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781036702373
Publisher: Vinci Books
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 March 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vinci Books
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 28.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 464
About the Author
J. D. (Jim) Keene was born in Crown Point, IN. where he lived until he enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of seventeen. While in the Navy, he was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea CV-43, which was homeported in Norfolk Virginia. The Coral Sea made frequent port calls in Europe where Keene became intrigued with the history of the continent. The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église is Keene's first novel. Although initial ideas were set to paper in early 2018, it didn't come to life until he visited the village of Sainte-Mère-Église in Normandy France. While there, the story began to emerge in his imagination. The success of The Heroes of Sainte-Mère-Église has inspired him to write other Novels, including Nino's Heart and Nino's War, also available on Amazon. He is currently working on the third book of the Nino series and has initial outlines drafted for several other novels relating to WW2. Keene lives in Virginia, U.S.A with his wife Katie.
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