Code Name Hélène

by Ariel Lawhon

I absolutely hate having to wear flats just because a man didn’t have the good sense to grow a few inches taller.

Nancy showed up, fully formed, the first day I sat down to write, and she had a lot to say—much of it opinionated, bawdy, and outrageous. I was inspired greatly by her autobiography and also the handful of biographies written about her and I found that the more I read about her, the more easily I could hear her voice amidst the random moments of my day. It took me a year and a half to write her story and during that time I kept a notebook in my purse in case a thought or description or bit of dialogue came to me while I was out and about. I remember scratching down the above quote while grocery shopping with my son. I laughed then and I laugh now every time I see it. Side note: if you have a few spare minutes one evening, pour yourself a drink and search for interviews of Nancy Wake on YouTube. (Don’t do this until you’ve finished the book, however, or you will be sorry—SPOILERS!!) She was a marvel of a human and kept every ounce of vim and vigor until the day she died. I think you will enjoy seeing and hearing her for yourself.