Avenue of Spies

Avenue of Spies by Alex Kershaw was already checked out and in my TBR stack when Ann and Michael from Books on the Nightstand talked about it a few weeks ago on their podcast. 

Their recommendation had me bumping it up to the top of my pile and quickly devouring it.  

Sumner Jackson is an American doctor in Paris, living with his wife and son on the Avenue Foch, a street where many of the homes have been taken over by Nazi officers.

From the beginning of the Nazi occupation to the end of the war, Kershaw follows this family, who are a part of the Nazi resistance.  Jackson, as a doctor, had the ability to sneak Jews out of the city by hiding them in the hospital and eliminating any record of their time receiving medical care.  

With the enemy literally right next door, this family of three refused to leave the country when they were able to, and instead chose to stay and help those who were being persecuted.

I was fascinated by Jackson's life, and also by the history of the Resistance in Paris and the treatment of Americans during the war.

History buffs will love this book, as will nearly anyone who begins reading and can appreciate Kershaw's writing style that is instantly engaging and not a dry or boring history book.