Violins Of Autumn

The book I chose for this week’s blog is Violins of Autumn, by Amy McAuley. This story follows Betty Sweeney on her journey as a spy through World War II. This book can be related to both What I Saw and How I Lied and Strings Attached, both books written by Judy Blundell. All three books contain a plot that shows a young woman trying to make her way in the world. Each character faces opposition and a romance that changes her view on the world she lives in. each of these stories take place during a historical era and give insight into that time period throughout the story. Amy McAuley has become another author who has perfectly captured the essence of historical fiction.

Amy McAuley was born and raised in Kincardin, Ontario, Canada.  Her dream of becoming a writer sprouted when she was in the fourth grade and began reading books by Judy Blume. She wanted to write stories that were funny and truthful; she began writing short stories and books that she never completed. She began to believe that her dream was as far from realistic as you can get when she got married and had three kids. She gave up until one night when she sent Judy Blume an e-mail, and got a response. She started writing the day she received the reply telling her to follow her dream.  Since then she has written two books, Violins of Autumn and Over and Over You.  When she is asked about holding a day job and being an author, she replies that being a mom and finding time to write is enough. Though McAuley hasn’t won any awards yet, her book, Violins of Autumn, has become a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical fiction.

Betty Sweeney has been trained as a spy for the SOE, or the Special Operations Executive; she has assumed the name Adele Blanchard and is now waiting to jump out of a plane into Nazi occupied France. She is working with one other spy, Denise, and is headed for a safe house where both will be safe, for one night. Claire LeRoche keeps them at her house for, where they meet her son, whom they soon realize is skeptical of the girls’ abilities. This leads Adele to accept a mission from Claire’s son, Pierre, because of his insulting attitude toward female spies.  They return to the farm, eat a hurried breakfast, and soon leave to make their way to Paris, where two events get in the way of their journey. First, Denise and Adele see a plane crash and a pilot who parachutes to safety. The girls decide to try and save the pilot, before they see the German police and have to act and make deals to save themselves.  Another obstacle that the three confront on their way to Paris is being seen by more German soldiers; they force Adele to give them her bike, leaving her to walk the next miles on her journey alone. Will Adele find her way to Paris and her secret mission? Will she ever see Denise and the pilot again? What will happen if the German soldiers capture Adele while she is traveling? Find out when you become an agent of the Special Operations Executive as you read Violins of Autumn.