The White Mouse

by Jack DuArte, Chris Inman (Illustrations)

The White Mouse is historical fiction and based on the real life exploits of Australian Nancy Wake during World War II. Wake was responsible for setting up a successful escape network around Marseille, France at the beginning of the war. She fled France and began working for Great Britain's Special Operations Executive during the invasion of Normandy. Wake succeeded in making the Auvergne Maquis a remarkable fighting force and did great harm to German Wehrmacht forces attempting to aid their coastal defences. For her remarkable efforts, Wake became the most decorated female officer in the British military during the war. She died in London in 2011 at the age of 98.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

254 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2014

About the author

Jack DuArte is a native of New Orleans with a varied career in writing. DuArte attended Jesuit High School and worked for the Times-Picayune as a teenager. After attending the University of Kentucky and later graduating from the University of Evansville, DuArte served as an Air Force officer in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star for his efforts. He returned to New Orleans in 1971 and went into the wine business. He also authored a weekly column called Gastronomy for the Times-Picayune for a number of years and later hosted a radio talk show for WWL.

DuArte later enjoyed a full career in the wine business where he owned several Napa Valley wineries. DuArte always enjoyed a long time love affair for the thoroughbred horse industry and returned to Kentucky in 2001. He is an owner and breeder of thoroughbreds in Central Kentucky.

The White Mouse is DuArte’s fifth novel, and was his eighth published work. The White Mouse is part of DuArte’s World War II Series. Other WWII novels include The Resistance Singapore, Spitfire and MALTA. All are historical novels and predominantly based on fact.

DuArte read from his work at the International Book Project’s Passport to Literacy in Lexington, KY. He also participated in the several Kentucky Book Fairs in Frankfort and numerous other book fairs around the country.

DuArte and his wife Susan reside in Lexington, KY.

Reviews

[Ian Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The White Mouse was a code name given to Nancy Wake Fiocca who was involved through the British Special Operations Executive in supporting the French Maquis. However, the book is not really about Nancy, but rather about SOE efforts in the Auvergne, where Nancy played (in this book) primarily the role of quartermaster. The major characters in this book all existed, and all did something similarly to what is described, however the author states this is a work of fiction, and the actual events portrayed in the book are fictional. Since I do not know what is true and what is not, I assume it is all not true, other than the general situations. For those interested, Nancy Wake apparently published an autobiography, which I have not read. On the plus side, it honours the people who were involved with the SOE, and gives quite a reasonable overview of the support given to the Maquis.

I had trouble with it as a pure work of fiction. The various characters are unlikely to represent the real people, they were not drawn particularly well, and I found many of the situations not very convincingly told. Part of my problem was that the whole thing reads a bit like a propaganda story from something like Boy's Own. Everybody is so gung ho to get at the Germans, nobody shows any real emotion like fear (and don't tell me nobody gave a thought to German capture). Oddly enough, most of the action is actually omitted or treated very lightly. There are one or two incidents where the Maquis set out to do damage and where we get a description of what happened (at least fictionally), but going by what is presented here the resistance would be at best a minor irritant to the Germans, and also a source of exercise for the troops when they attacked concentrations of the Maquis. In short much of what really happened is almost certainly not presented. I also found the conversations somewhat stilted, probably as an effort to make the conversation that of the time. One example: "I am always able to escape their nasty clutches." Those sort of people almost certainly do not talk like that, and other similar conversational examples. I found the editing relating to punctuation, particularly quotation marks, annoying. The presentation of the Germans was also not particularly credible at times. When an NCO deliberately violates a direct order from an SS Lieutenant Colonel, I find it hard to believe he walks out of the room with the officer shaking his head. As a minor correction, an SS Sturmbannführer is the equivalent of a major, not a colonel.

Overall, it is an interesting book, it gives some idea of what happened through the SOE and the Maquis, but I would have preferred it if it had not been fictional. A docudrama, yes, but I would have preferred the general facts to be real.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!

I love stories relating to both Wold Wars, especially ones based on true stories. When I entered the giveaway for this book I was both excited and hopeful that I would get a copy and I was thrilled to be one of the lucky people to receive one.

This was an interesting read for me. I didn't really know much about Nancy Wake and I found her story intriguing. As I mentioned above, I love reading about the war so this was no surprise to me. Unfortunately the book read more like a documentary so it may not appeal to everyone. Although the text was interesting it did seem to lack some life behind the characters which made for a somewhat dull read and took away from the actual events that occur throughout. It reminded me of reading an essay. All the facts and information are there but no feeling or emotion. For lack of better words it was a bit robotic. For this I was a little disappointed.

This book would be good for people who are interested in learning about Nancy Wake but don't really care about the story or emotions of a book. For me, I like to have both.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard of this book from a post on Facebook called Mighty Girls. The post talked about the woman called the White Mouse. She was an Australian woman that became involved with the French Resistance. Her role was very important and the Germans had placed a very large reward on her. She was a very tough and determined woman. The author did a great job describing her role and others operatives in the fight against the Germans. The only disappointment was that the author never finished. I would loved to have known what happened to her for the rest of the war.

[John Suddath]

The White Mouse

The very brief scenes and the large number of characters sometimes make it difficult to follow the thread and the timeline of the novel. I know that many novelists switch back and forth between locales and the activities of various characters, but the author carries it to the extreme. “Meanwhile back at the ranch” gets tedious at times.
He is very descriptive about things, such as the model numbers of cars and guns, but he uses clichés when describing people. He is most adept using the words that his characters think (displayed in italics). This not only carries the action forward, but it also tells us something about them through their reactions. We begin to care about what happens to them even when killing them off even if we can’t remember their names. The settings are listed by place names so that the reader almost needs a map to follow the action.
Once the action starts, the narrative seems to flow more easily, but it is sketchy at times. The rapid switch between locales remains confusing, and the reader is left to wonder just where the current scene is. Perhaps someone who is familiar with the territory would be more secure than a novice reader. The action heats up with more conflict with the Nazis, and all but one of the primary characters survive. If this were a movie, it might be a little easier to follow with the visual clues, but the book suffers from a lack of more detailed description. Sometimes one feels jumping from “fast-paced” to a “blur” of action without really developing each scene. In my opinion, fewer set pieces more fully developed would have more dramatic impact.
It is hard to set a historical account in a fictional setting without focusing on one aspect over the other. The unique feature of fiction is character development, and somehow these characters still seem only cardboard. I’m convinced of the historical accuracy of the accounts, but I would like a little more believable drama in the story.

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 5 out of 5]

The White Mouse by Jack DuArte is an absorbing and delightful historical fiction based on the real life exploits of Australian Nancy Wake during World War II, who was given the name The White Mouse by the German Gestapo. With fascinating illustrations by Chris Inman, this is a book that will appeal to fiction and non-fiction readers alike. What is particularly significant is the timing of the book. It is the centenary year of the First World War. Combatant and non-combatant nations will observe its anniversary in June 2014. And there is a deluge of books on subject. A historical fiction on WWII is an added attraction.

In The White Mouse, award-winning author Jack DuArte narrates the pivotal part played by Nancy Wake in the early days of global war known as The Great War. Before she fled France for Great Britain, she was single-handedly responsible for operating an escape network around Marseille, France at the beginning of the war. Later, she played important roles which were detrimental to the cause of the Germans and ended up becoming the most decorated female officer in the British military during the war.

It is simply absorbing and lovers of historical fiction as well as war memoirs will truly appreciate it. Jack DuArte has done a commendable job in bringing the life and exploits of Nancy “The White Mouse” Wake to life through this riveting book. The research has been exhaustive and the imaginary characters planted in real life historical events of significance truly brilliant.