The Girl With No Name

by Reine Andrieu

She may not remember her name,
but her body knows.

1940. When a French family is forced to house a German soldier in their spare room, young Noemie finds herself drawn to the enemy living under the family roof. A forbidden romance unfolds with life-changing consequences.

1946. In the aftermath of the war, a little girl is found sitting on a bench with no memory of who she is - not even her own name. Justin, a young gendarme, takes her under his wing. He is desperate to unravel the mystery surrounding her sudden appearance.

Who is the little girl?

And what happened to her family?

The truth he discovers is spine-chilling.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Ebooks

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2022

Reviews

[Eric Jewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not part of occupied France in World War II. Nevertheless, I felt like I was surrounded by the light, the smells and the sounds of the era. The author did a superb job of putting up the wallpaper to support the plot. The plot centers on a young girl who appears in a French village with no idea of her name or how she arrived, beyond running through a wood. A police officer is tasked with discovering her name and her story. We discover it along with them, though we glimpse parts of the picture before it all emerges.
The author makes abrupt changes in time and view with each chapter but the titles help keep it straight. The characters are largely sympathetic and believable, with a few stereotypical cutouts.
The ending left me disappointed, not in the facts of it but its abruptness. I felt that the author wanted to wrap it up and do it quickly. Maybe the richness of the earlier threads just made the end taste thin by comparison. Maybe I was just not ready to say goodbye to these characters. That said, I heartily recommend the book and will look for future titles.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Whitehouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading a book set in the World War 2 period, written by chatgpt. The writing style is very dull and uninspiring. The story and plot formulaic.

[Kc1morepage · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out with so much promise: engaging prose, a fresh plot, and a multi-perspective narrative. I was very excited to learn how a little girl with no memory appeared in a town square in post-WWII France and loved the idea of the details slowly unraveling from multiple view-points.
After the first 30% or so, the book ran off the rails and lost its focus. The characters and the plot became more unbelievable, and new storylines appeared haphazardly.
The beginning bones of this book would have benefited immensely from some editing.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I just picked up on the off chance, I felt drawn to it.

It was a very intriguing read. There were a few narratives to follow, but I appreciated each character and the story they had to tell. I would recommend this to fams of historical fiction - anyone who enjoyed The Book Thief or a similar sort of book.

[Gloria Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book started off ok and I liked it until it came to a couple of chapters that was not good and from then I did not like or enjoy this book Did read it right through to the end

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un roman intéressant qui nous replonge durant l'occupation avec la famille Lenoir.

[ywanderingreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

What caught my attention to this book was the title and the premise of the story sounds like something right up my alley. I did enjoy this but I also felt that something was missing from the story.

This story switches between the past and present, and also follows three narratives. The plot centers around a young girl, post WWII, who appears in a French village looking haggard and lost. She had no idea who she is and where she came from. She only knew she was running for her life through the woods. A police officer who was working on her case slowly helped her retrace her steps. Through the past timeline, we learn about a French family in 1940s, the Lenoirs, who were forced to house a German soldier in their home but what unfolds was beyond their expectations which changed their lives forever. How is this family related to the little girl? What happened to this family?

The story started off quite slow for me. It took me a while to get into the story but the plot is an interesting one. I haven’t read anything like this before but I wished it was developed more. I also didn’t feel that there was much development for any of the characters but I did enjoy reading about how France was occupied in WWII and how the Resistance secretly operated. I really felt for the characters who lived in fear but yet want to do something for their country. This definitely supported the plot well however, I was quite disappointed with how abrupt the story ended. Despite what everyone went through, and for them to end up the way they did was really quite underwhelming for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc.

[Seena Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

less gripping

Admittedly, this book was written very differently than others I have read. But there were too many voices in this book. The story didn’t flow easily because of the diary style in which it was written.
Much of the story was repeated but in a different voice, a different character . The casual attitude of the diaries or voices expressed in past tense made, what could have been a gripping story into a rather bland story telling. This reader found herself skipping over paragraphs in hopes of moving through the book. This could have been a good story. But it felt much less intense because of the writing style.

[Elaine C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a compelling story!! Set in France during World War II follows the life of a prominent French doctor, his wife and 2 children, along with their staff (cook, housekeeper and gardener). Their problems begin when they are forced to house a German soldier in their home. They have to walk the tightrope between their loyalty to their beloved France, their pretend unaffected concern for politics, their determination to save their friends …. stretching their emotions and stress to the extreme. And who is the little girl who appears out of nowhere in the park, dirty, bleeding and covered in scratches and bruises - with amnesia? The resolution of the mystery is heart-rending and tragic!!

[Fi · Rating 1 out of 5]

One sitting was enough to tell me that this book wasn't for me - shame, as the blurb promised something so good

[Ashleigh Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been so much better. The plot was great but just not developed enough, then when all the pieces start coming together it seemed very superficially done and rushed.

[Ann Gandolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy historical fiction about WWII. This book did not disappoint. I needed to back peddle several times to be sure of the timeline. At times it was difficult to follow due to this.

[Imogen Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have finished reading The Girl With No Name by Reine Andrieu in a couple of days skipping through most of the pages with expict details not even related to the overall plot as I found out contining to read though the pages. It is a shame The Girl With No Name is such a intriguing idea with such brilliant translation as the book was originally in French.

Overall I felt something was missing from the story as even with the extra detail the ending still felt a little rushed. The front cover is a picture worth a thousand words too bad most of the characters are unlikeable as I feel like this book had so much promise in it.

[HALIMA Elyoussoufi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un assez bon livre. C'est un roman qui fait des allers et retours entre la période de la seconde guerre mondiale et l'an 2011. Il résoud le mystère d'une petite fille retrouvée amnésique au bord d'un village après la guerre. J'ai bien aimé car c'est très bien écrit.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t a fan of this book mainly because it didn’t seem like the timelines matched as well as they should have. Also my reading gets interrupted when there are typos in the text and I was surprised at the number of mistakes I found.

[Angela Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the story is set in German occupied France during WWII. Andrieu provides multiple characters’ POVs. A ten-year-old girl with a head injury and amnesia shows up in Bournelin, France not long after WWII has ended. Justin is the police officer assigned to the girl’s case. The Lenoirs are a prominent family living in German occupied Lignon, France, during WWII. The German military requires the Lenoirs to board Gunther, a lonely German soldier. Germain is the Lenoirs’ resourceful gardener and also a Resistance Fighter.

The author bounces between dates ranging from 1940 and 2011 but not chronologically. I had to pay close attention while reading to keep the story straight, but it helped that the chapters indicated the date and the character who was sharing the POV.

The characters are well developed. Andrieu weaves an interesting story as the reader discovers the identity of the little girl and the circumstances behind her appearance in Bournelin. She also does a great job chronicling human nature. Regardless of nationality or race, people have similar needs, desires, and struggles. The story reminds us that the casualties of war continue long after war officially ends. Happiness can be found after tragedy, but it takes determination.

I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. Angela L God, author of The Lion Within

[Donna Satterlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story switches between the past and present, and also follows three narratives. The plot centers around a young girl, post WWII, who appears in a French village looking haggard and lost. She had no idea who she is and where she came from. She only knew she was running for her life through the woods. A police officer who was working on her case slowly helped her retrace her steps. Through the past timeline, we learn about a French family in 1940s, the Lenoirs, who were forced to house a German soldier in their home but what unfolds was beyond their expectations which changed their lives forever. How is this family related to the little girl? What happened to this family?

The story started off quite slow for me. It took me a while to get into the story but the plot is an interesting one. I also didn’t feel that there was much development for any of the characters but I did enjoy reading about how France was occupied in WWII and how the Resistance secretly operated. I really felt for the characters who lived in fear but yet want to do something for their country. This definitely supported the plot well however, I was quite disappointed with how abrupt the story ended. Despite what everyone went through, and for them to end up the way they did was really quite sad.

[Constance C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of occupied France during WWII, Reine Andrieu gives us a compelling story of the struggles of a French family and the German soldier who has been stationed at their home. The novel explores how much each person is willing to risk and what sacrifices they are willing to make for their beliefs.
Chapters are written in first person from the point of view of each character. Although there are multiple characters and time changes, the author made it easy to follow with carefully labeled chapters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, not only for the historical references but also for the way each chapter provided one piece of a puzzle until the entire picture began to emerge, with the final piece being revealed to the reader at the same moment it was revealed to the main character.

[Natalie Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I devoured this book. The Girl With No Name throws you straight into chaos telling the story of a 10 year old girl who is found in a village with no memory, no identity, and no safety net—then cranks the tension up by revealing the story through multiple POVs that slowly expose the truth from different angles. Set at different time periods in France during the war, we have stories from a german soldier, a police detective, a doctor and his wife aswell as our main fmc. Every perspective adds another layer of dread, secrets, and emotional damage, making it impossible to trust anyone or relax for even a second. Dark, fast, and deeply unsettling, this is the kind of book that makes you whisper “what the hell is happening” while you keep turning the pages anyway.

[Cali · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'idée était bonne et l'intrigue est bien menée. Toutefois la narration est mal construite : pourquoi avoir le point de vue de Solveig en 2011 ? Ça ne sert à rien à mon avis si ce n'est à dévoiler la fin et donc à gâcher le suspense. L'intrigue secondaire avec Lucille ne sert à rien et *spoiler* la scène de viol est assez mal amenée je trouve.
Je n'ai pas été convaincue par l'alternance entre 1941 et 1946 avec les diverses ellipses... Également problème de temps, les pdv d'Armand, de Günter et Germain sont inutiles puisqu'ils *spoiler* m'ont permis de comprendre le dénouement au moins deux cents pages avant la fin, c'est quand même dommage...

[Diane Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

painful memories

A terrible, terrifying scene tragically affects a young girl found wandering into a town. The scene is in the first years after Germany is defeated and France is trying to “pick up the pieces” of life and move forward. The chapters are written to show the main characters in this story and how they see the young girl and what they know about her family. The story is well written and suspenseful. It is another way to learn about the lives of the people left in the villages trying to stay alive as war is happening all around them.
I urge you to read each page.

[david h lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

inside the French Resistance

THE GIRL WITH NO NAME was an excellent story of trying to survive the Nazis in France. It is written through the eyes of a small child who is attempting to put the pieces of her early life together. The author is able to give the reader remarkable insight into how average French citizens attempted daily life during the German reign over their country. It is breathtaking, unreal, and astonishing. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in an insight into this small slice of survival during World War II.

[Leboudoirdulivre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merci aux éditions Préludes et à NetGalley pour ce très beau roman se déroulant pendant et après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. J’ai été séduite par la manière dont Reine Andrieu a construit son roman, les descriptions et informations sur la vie durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale sont très intéressants. Un très joli coup de cœur qui fait partit de ma « Sélection 2021 » où le lecteur dévore les chapitres tout en reconstituant l’histoire de Solveig grâce aux chapitres alternant chaque personnage. On se sent comme un détective menant l’enquête et échafaudant des hypothèses au gré des fragments distillés au fil des pages.

Mai 1946.

Dans le village de Bournelin, une enfant est assise, complètement perdue et amnésique. Elle ne sait pas qui elle est, où aller, juste qu’elle vient de la forêt et qu’elle est blessée.

Solveig, septembre 1940.

Solveig se remémore sa vie et tout ce qu’elle a vue, des bombardements aux attentats. A 75 ans, elle ne comprend pas la mentalité de ces personnes qui endoctrinent et exécutent des ordres menant à des attentats, à la destruction et à la mort.

Noémie, septembre 1940.

Catholique pratiquante, Noémie Lenoir est la femme du médecin de Lignon et vit sous le joug allemand. Sa vie bascule quand elle et son mari Armand doivent cohabiter avec un sous- lieutenant Günter Kohler. Malgré ses options sur les Allemands, petit à petit, ils commencent à se parler, discutant de choses et d’autres avec un naturel et un intérêt qu’elle n’a jamais eu avec son mari trop accaparé par son travail.

Son mariage avec Armand n’est pas celui d’un amour fou mais plus d’un arrangement dû aux circonstances. Quand elle doit s’occuper de Günter après qu’il soit blessé, elle sait qu’elle va braver et oser l’interdit.

Justin, mai 1946.

C’est Justin qui est en charge de l’enquête concernant l’enfant amnésique qui a été envoyé à l’orphelinat le temps que sa famille soit retrouvée.

Angèle, juin 1946.

L’enfant sans nom, baptisée temporairement Angèle, ne sait que deux choses de son passé, son goût pour la lecture, qu’elle a de bonnes manières telle une enfant issue d’une famille aisée et qu’elle est sujette à des crises d’angoisse quand une porte est fermée.

Günter, novembre 1940.

Günter détient un secret, c’est un Mischling et sa petite-amie Hannah est Juive. Il a menti sur ses origines pour entrer dans la Wehrmacht avec pour seul but de servir son pays. Il ne s’attendait pas à tomber amoureux d’une Française qui plus est une femme mariée.

Germain, novembre 1940.

Germain est le jardinier des Lenoir et a une relation avec Ernestine, la bonne. Il croit que ses patrons collaborent avec l’ennemi et la relation de Noémie Lenoir avec Günter confirmera ses allégations.

Armand, décembre 1940.

Armand aimerait aider les résistants en tant que médecin. Quant à sa femme si soumise, il est loin de se douter de ce qui se passe entre elle et l’Allemand. Quand ils décident de cacher leurs amis Juifs dans leur souterrain et de prendre activement à la Résistance… C’est toute leur famille qu’ils mettent en danger.

Solveig, septembre 2011.

Solveig apprend l’histoire des parents de son amie Sylvette issue d’un viol par des GI à la Libération. Le nom son père est mentionné. Lenoir serait-il celui qui a refusé d’avorter la mère de Sylvette ?

Quand la guerre détruit des vies entre mensonges et vengeance !

De 1940 à 2011, on suit l’histoire passionnante d’une enfant retrouvée amnésique dans un village. De sa rencontre avec Justin qui va mener l’enquête afin de retrouver la famille de la fillette jusqu’à la terrible vérité… De l’histoire de son enfance, celle de ses parents, le cercle des protagonistes est restreint mais difficile à démêler le vrai du faux quand la guerre sème le doute entre collaboration et résistance. Le travail de recherches est là et démontre tout le talent de Reine Andrieu dont le style et l’écriture ne laissent pas le lecteur indifférent.

Alternant les protagonistes et les époques à chaque chapitre. Ceux-ci contiennent les pensées de chaque personnage tel un journal intime. Tous liés à la Seconde Guerre mondiale et à ses secrets. La collaboration, la Résistance, les relations interdites entre une Française et un Allemand… Seule Solveig détient les clés du passé et de son histoire.

Libre mais sans mémoire, Solveig ne doute pas encore que le responsable de son emprisonnement et de sa perte de mémoire est à sa recherche après avoir tenté de se venger de ceux qu’ils pensaient être des collaborateurs.

Tel un puzzle, le lecteur assemble les éléments, fragments d’une histoire qui sera dévoilée des générations après.

Quand la guerre fait voler en éclat une famille entre secrets et mensonges !

Un récit émouvant qui fourmille d’informations comme les détails historiques sur la situation de la guerre en France vue par des civils, le sort des Juifs, les maquis, les viols par les GI ou les français qui ont profité de la Libération pour régler leurs comptes…

L’auteur distille ses informations au compte-gouttes attisant la curiosité et l’avidité de ses lecteurs. Jusqu’à la fin, Reine Andrieu nous tient en haleine avides de savoir le mot de la fin.

L’heure de la vengeance a sonné pour Noémie et sa famille, s’en sortiront-ils indemnes ?

Solveig saura-t-elle enfin la vérité sur son passé ?

Reine Andrieu signe une très belle histoire de famille en pleine tourmente durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale !

L’histoire de Solveig de son enfance à l’âge adulte en quête de vérité !

[Tanya R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dual timelines, multiple POV's, a mysterious child that is found wondering in a town with apparent amnesia and a Frech household who is required to host a German officer in their home.

The Girl with No Name is a story in which you will need to concentrate on whose storyline is in focus at the moment. As I read this story in between doing other things (like life), I found it difficult to keep my head in the game, so to speak, and always had to stop and think about where I was last and what was happening.

This is my first WW2 HF where a German Officer was to live with a French family instead of take over and occupy a household. That was an interesting take.

The story was very slow. Not my favorite HF read but for those that enjoy this genre, it is worth the read.

[Dorothy Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete daunting story.

This story is a complete work of the 2nd. World war. Focusing on one main family. There was so much happening that I did not want to put it down. What a surprise that before you know you are reading about so many others, that I was trying to bring it all together. Well this writer does it so well. When I finish reading this book I was just in awe. Thanks for a really good story.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reasonably good book for a $.99 Kindle book--as in--"If you liked THAT book, you might like THIS book" on Amazon. Yes, another WWII book near Vichy France where the local Dr is forced to board a German soldier. Hiding his Resistance involvement causes resentment among his neighbors that results in trouble later on. It is only discovered from a lost young girl with no memory due to some unknown trauma.

[Cindy G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Story

I have read many books of fiction and fact about WW2, but this one tops them all. So much accurate information, details of events, actions and the feelings of each person. Telling the story from multiple perspectives is brilliant! The author made it easy to follow the timeline, and the switch from one character to another is seamless.
A truly riveting read, one that I will never forget.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished the book highly suprised

So at first I was very confused....she had me second guessing everything it was like a giant puzzle up until the end....I believe it ended really well and I definitely flew through this book,but the ending could've been done different it felt very fast for some of the characters. But overall I really liked it
She did a great job at making you think you have it all figured it put then bam plot twist

[Gayle Parish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing

I found the story intriguing. The one problem I had was italicized words for no reason and were distracting from the flow of the story. I believe a good edit needs to be done. I would then give higher marks. This story of a young girl who suffers from amnesia and her journey is otherwise well written and a good premise.

[Georgina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but I really struggled to connect with the writing style and so it took me a long time to get into this book, and once I did it was still a bit of a struggle every time I picked it up. Lots of historical knowledge throughout which was interesting but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.