The Forger of Marseille: A Novel

by Linda Joy Myers

It’s 1939, and all across Europe the Nazis are coming for Jews and anti-fascists. The only way to avoid being imprisoned or murdered is to assume a new identity. For that, people are desperate for papers. And for that, the underground needs forgers.

In Paris, Sarah, a young Jewish artist originally from Berlin, along with her music teacher and father figure, Mr. Lieb, meet Cesar, a Spanish Republican who knows well the brutality of fleeing fascism. He soon recognizes Sarah’s gift. She will become the underground’s new forger.

When the war reaches Paris, the trio joins thousands of other refugees in a chaotic exodus south. In Marseille, they’re received by friends, but they’re also now part of a resistance the government is actively hunting.  Sarah, now Simone, continues her forgery work in the shadows, expertly creating false papers that will mean the difference between life and a horrifying death for many. When Mr. Lieb is arrested and imprisoned in Les Milles internment camp, Simone, Cesar, and their friends vow to rescue him, enlisting the help of American journalist Varian Fry, known for plotting the escapes of high- profile people like Andre Breton and Marc Chagall. In this enlightening and thrilling story of war, love, and courage, author Linda Joy Myers explores identity, ingenuity, and the power of art to save lives.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, World War II, Novels

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2023

About the author

Linda Joy Myers has always been haunted by the power of the past to affect people in the stream of time. She learned about World War II through her grandmother, a passionate Anglophile who would rhapsodize about the unfairness of war. Together they watched black and white documentaries about the war when Linda Joy was young which led to a passion about history which she integrated into her own struggles with intergenerational trauma and her work as a therapist and a writer.
As founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers, Linda Joy is the author of four books on memoir writing. The Power of Memoir and Journey of Memoir help writers find their way to their healing stories. Her two memoirs Don’t Call Me Mother, and Song of the Plains have won the Bay Area Publishing Association Gold Medal award and the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book awards.
The search for layers of truth to help inform current generations about WWII led Linda Joy to explore the mostly unknown history of Vichy France in the weeks following the fall of France. Her new book is inspired by Varian Fry’s memoir Surrender on Demand and Donald Caskie’s The Tartan Pimpernel, and by the daunting courage of unknown and unnamed people who helped to save the lives of thousands of refugees, British soldiers, and other lost souls during the chaotic war in France. Memoirs were the most helpful books to find the “inside” secret stories.
Linda Joy loves to travel, tends her rose bushes and her two kitties, Harvey, a Maine coon, and Charlie, a Norwegian forest cat. They sit on her desk and dangle their paws over the keys.
To learn about The Forger of Marseille and what inspired it: https://theforgerofmarseille.com.
Linda Joy’s memoir links: www.namw.org and www.writeyourmemoirinsixmonths.com.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel begins in 1938 in Berlin where nineteen year old Sarah, a Jewish art student lives with her mother. Her mother had been working with a family friend Mr. Lieb to get forged papers so that Sarah can escape to Paris. After a run in with a Nazi officer, they know that Sarah needs to leave immediately. She and Mr. Lieb flee to Paris where they live with a Jewish family. Sarah is now called Rosemarie and she's thrilled to be in Paris where she can visit art galleries and where she once again feels safe. She meets and begins to fall in love with Cesar who has escaped from Spain and is now working with the underground making forged papers for people who are trying to get out of Paris. Sarah's feeling of freedom in Paris ends quickly when the German Army occupies the city in 1940. Her artistic talent makes her a good forger so she begins to work with Cesar. Once the Germans arrive, they know that they need to leave Paris. Mr Lieb has friends in Marseille, so they get new identities and start towards Marseille in a small car. The trip is harrowing. The roads are crowded with people who have farm carts, animals and all methods of transportation as they try to get out of Paris. Plus, German airplanes fly overhead and even shoot into the crowds of people trying to leave. There they meet an American who is working to help people get to England and America and Sarah and Cesar start working as forgers for Varian Fry. It's only through the trust that they have with other people and the fact that there were many good people in the resistance that they were able to stay one step ahead of the Germans and the French police.

This debut novel was beautifully written and well researched. It was also exciting and a bit scary as the main characters often got close to being captured. Also the trip from Paris to Marseille was nail biting as so many people filled the roads while the German pilots often shot into the groups. I had trouble putting the book down once I started reading.

This is a book about the cruelty of war and the struggles people went through to stay alive. It's about the importance of trust and creating families out of the people who love and help take care of you. It's an interesting look at the importance of art in helping to save lives. It was so well written that it was hard to believe that this was a debut novel for Linda Joy Myers. I am looking forward to her future books.

[Marian Beaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novelist Linda Joy Myers takes readers by the hand, leading them back into WWII Europe and into a world gone mad, revealing the fate of myriads in her debut novel, The Forger of Marseille. In a story of survival that could become incredibly dark, the author weaves the glory of Parisian art and the chords of musical melodies against a backdrop of war. At the heart of the narrative is a cast of characters we grow to care about, including Rosemarie and César, stars of a tender love story.

A dominant thread in the book is the theme of identity—who am I, how do I know who I am, even if my name is changed as Sarah (aka Rosemarie) and Josef the violinist (aka Mathieu) experience. Novelist Myers illustrates this conundrum well when she notes, “Rosemarie felt the two parts of herself knit together again. In her heart, she was still Sarah, but she had begun to feel like this new Rosemarie. An artist. Free in a way she never had been in Berlin as a Jewish girl. A Jewish girl. She would have to tell this man who she really was. But when?” Later, she learns firsthand the art and craft of forgery, the challenge to “shape-shift each one of you into a new person with the new name and background and occupation.” We learn the sturdiness of all the resisters to Hitler’s regime and their incredible courage, expressed metaphorically by Josef, musician and Luthier, who declares, “the trees that survived the storms made the best violins.”

Historical facts are so masterfully interwoven with literary fiction that we are certain Sarah—Rosemarie—Simone was once alive. In my opinion, memoirist and novelist Linda Joy Myers has achieved the ring of truth every author aims for in fiction. She is able to stay true to history while creating a living, fictional world. I can imagine this title as a Netflix series or the headline on a movie marquee.

[Megan Bey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a compelling and interesting book, that I couldn’t put down. The story telling and the characters in this book really wrap you in, my only complaint is that I wanted to know more of what happened with the characters- I really hope there is a sequel!

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of how a young Jewish woman from Berlin became a forger of identity papers in Marseilles during WWII. I hope there is more to the story and Sarah/Rosiemarie/Simone finds a happy ending with her love.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Potential for Spoilers**

A story of true tears, fears, and discovery, this was a fantastic read that combined fiction with history, with romance, and with thrill practically perfectly.

Throughout this story, we follow three main characters who each grow stronger and develop more and more in each chapter. We read about impressive strength and courage that seems impossible from an outsider’s point of view and feel the love that is shared between the protagonists as if we’re right there with them.

What prevents this from being a full 5-star read is a few unresolved plot lines. First, was César the one who created the first of Sarah and Mr. Lieb’s new identities? Second, what happened to Sarah’s mom and grandparents? Third, but not exactly surprising that the story ended without revealing this to us, what happens to each of the main characters? What is Joshua up to in England? Is he able to pick up his luthier business as Joshua Lieb? Did Simone and César get married? Did all three reunite?

Overall, this is a work I would absolutely recommend to others and I would definitely read more from the author should she publish more books like this.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read! I really liked this book, it gave a lot of great details. A very good WWII book.

[Kerrific Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read! I didn't want to put it down. History at it's finest. I hope there is a sequel as I would love to learn more about the lives of these individuals through the rest of the war and beyond.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forger of Marseille follows Sarah (Rosemarie, then Simone) and her guardian Joshua Lieb (then Josef, then Mathieu) from Berlin, then to Paris, and then to Marseille as they attempt to flee the Nazis’ power. Originally seeking refuge in Paris, Rosemarie meets Cesar, a young Spanish Republican who fled his own country, and the two become involved -- as a couple, and in the Parisian underground. The found family continues to work for French freedom and for their own freedom despite the many challenges placed in their path. Joining larger resistance networks, Simone, Mathieu, and Cesar do what they can to bring undermine the Nazi and Vichy regimes. Meyers crafts a fantastic narrative, immediately pushing the reader into the dangerous world of 1930s Berlin, and her characters are equally wonderful -- vibrant, dynamic, brave, and a little cynical. Her characters develop greatly over the course of the novel, and their relationships with each other and other members of the underground also evolve as the need for greater action and security arise. This novel is driven forward by its characters and their relationships, with settings playing a smaller role, yet the locations are as critical to their identities (literally) as their relationships and alliances. Meyers paints a beautiful picture of the struggles of the French underground under the Vichy regime.

Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the advance copy.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Joy Myers weaves her characters' stories with historical truths. The flaring of Nazi brutality against Jews in Berlin, the aggression and takeover of territories throughout Europe, the complex hurdles and challenges faced by refugees, the fall of France, the complicity of the Vichy government with Nazism, the terror of escape southward from Paris, the bravery of resistance fighters---all are represented in this work of historical fiction with meticulously researched detail. The author adheres to the timeline of actual events. I regularly read historical fiction, and seldom do I find material that seems so completely authentic. I am grateful to the author for using her voice to not only tell a compelling story, but also clearly represent a riveting segment of history.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure if I want stand up, screaming praises to Sarah and others that helped people escape Nazi capture or allow the tears to continue to flow that it needed to be done in the first place. The Forger of Marseille is a intriguing story that gives an in-depth view into the importance of forgers and those that assisted in the saving of lives.

The story begins in Berlin where the reader is pulled into a story of survival. Sarah is confronted by a Nazi officer that believes he can do as he wishes to a Jewish girl. The author's ability to grab my attention and create such empathy had me refusing to put the book down. So many lives were at risk.

Sarah soon finds herself traveling to Paris to attend an art school with Mr. Lieb, a man that had been like a father to her for many years. False papers in hand; they risked their very lives to find safety. Unfortunately, safety is objective. I have to admit reading a story that goes into detail of what live might have been like during the war is much better than studying a dry textbook. The likability of the characters had me invested in the words on the pages. I needed them to survive, but would they?

In Paris, Sarah discovers a new talent after meeting Cesar. She is soon helping others escape the Nazis by creating false papers. Day after day, she worked to save others become someone else, making travel easier. Paris won't remain the safe haven they thought it would be. The most important papers they might create is for themselves and Sarah's papa.

I was enthralled with their journey to Marseille from Paris in a little Citroen. A trip that used to take days dragged on for weeks. The inner strength of those on the roads has left me in awe. The pulled me back in time to gain an understanding of their suffering. I will never be able to grasp a snippet of what these people went through but I do know that we must make sure it never happens again.

Upon arrival in Marseille, Sarah and Cesar are soon in the thick of things. She is creating papers for British soldiers and many others. Cesar is putting his medical training to good use putting the people back together before they attempt to escape to freedom.

The tears flowed as I read about the tragedies. I bawled when Mr. Lieb was arrested and taken to a camp that was not fit for rats let alone human beings. For weeks he struggled, he fought to survive as those around him died.

As Mr. Lieb rotted in the camp, Sarah is called to help Varian Fry after his forger is arrested. I am so thrilled that Varian Fry's actions were a part of this story. His accomplishments, at high risk, should be remembered. His dedication to the cause should be told. Books, like The Forger of Marseille, are a great way to learn about the past. Take what you have read and research and learn.

[Wyndy KnoxCarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The power of “fiction” is its believability. Linda Joy Myers’ The Forger of Marseille: A Novel does a very good job of stepping from her previous genre of memoir into historical fiction. At the Berkeley Books Inc., Myers outlined her four years of travel and research --interviews, tours, memoirs, stories, true life accounts; how she pursued “info trees,” “research rapture” delving into “the tome of history” to produce a blending of the Spanish Civil War, Nazi demonizing of race, politics and religion in Germany, Austria and Poland reaching into France from 1938 Berlin to the Marseille of 1940-41. With her key characters so positioned and swept along; she’s created believable SS, Vichy government agent and Americans’, artists’ and resistance collaborators’ efforts, failures and successes.
I would have liked a little more detail of the main characters’ and places appearances in order to place and picture them adequately throughout the book; particularly as their names change with their passports as they travel from here to there. Not all of us have been to Le Boulevard Saint-Germain, or even remember exactly what it looks like even if we have! Get lyrical, if not poetic! You can do it, and it might even be fun.
And, quite honestly, the lack of contraceptive use by the lovers is a major plot blunder in this day and age and then. It stopped me in my tracks. They could not have had that much intercourse and still produced all those forged papers and midnight passports over two years without quite a few “French letters” in between, n’est-ce pas?
Young, somewhat healthy, persistent? A hot lover with medical background? C’mon. Naive young woman and lusty young man or not, at least he “ought to know better,” as well as Myers, because the power of “fiction” is its believability. I’ll forgive Myers for this because it’s her first novel, but it makes her heroine just a tiny bit false.
Her “stateless” citizens and refugees in prisons, interrogations, internment camps and under aerial bombings are not that far from the Ukraine, U. S. borders and Middle East of today. Or the Vietnam, Iraq and Irans of our lifetimes. I love one of her main themes: “never, never forget the power of art.” – très bien, merci!
Published 19 October, 2023 as “Boundaries of Fiction, Power, Humans,” Knox Book Beat in The Berkeley Times.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Author of Marseille,” Linda Joy Myers, has written a powerful, captivating, and poignant Historical Fiction Novel. I love how the author discusses the importance of Art and Music during historical periods such as World War Two. This is a novel set during World War Two in European countries. Many talented artists and musicians were part of the resistance against the enemy. They helped spread the word of freedom symbolically through these mediums, as did other people who bravely fought to be free. The author vividly describes the scenery, action, plot, and characters. The colorful yet dramatic characters were complex and complicated. These were times when there were some evil people and some good people. As the German armies and the Nazis started dominating European countries, many people had to change their identities and home countries.

Sarah is a 19-year-old Jewish art student who lives with her mother in Berlin. She is forced to leave Germany with Mr. Lieb, a family friend who is like a father to her. Mr. Lieb is also Jewish and plays and builds violins. They decide it will be safe to go to Paris, where Sarah can attend Art School. Both have new identities and papers.

In Paris, Sarah meets Cesar, a Spanish Republican. Cesar has been a medic and also is a forger. As an Artist, Sarah finds that she also has the ability to forge documents and give people new identities that have to leave the country. As the Germans enter Paris, Sarah realizes that it is extremely dangerous to do this and be there. They are forced to leave again.

The author discusses the courage and bravery of many talented people who fought for freedom. I would highly recommend this memorable and thought-provoking story.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

1939, Sarah, who changes her name to Simone, and her father figure and mentor Mr. Lieb who also has changed his name to Mathieu. They are both Jewish and the times are not favorable to Jews. They meet up with Cesar and the three of them make their trek to Paris. There Simone wishes to attend art school. In Paris Cesar works as a doctor, of which he is, to do what he can to help the injured to heal so that they can escape to freedom.

Along the way, they meet other people who belong to the Resistance. Simone, Mathiew, and Cesar want to help to do what they can to help other people who want to leave Paris. They end up in Marseille and Simone uses her skills to become a forger, passports, birth certificates, and other papers that enable the people to leave France as it is no longer a safe haven but a dangerous place to be if you are Jewish.

The reader is introduced to a myriad of people, all working for the cause and some on the other side, the enemy. Mathieu is captured and sent to a concentration camp. Simone and Cesar believe that Mathieu will not make it there so they make it their mission to rescue him.

I have read quite a few WWII books and each one is sad in its own way, the narrow escapes by the characters really bring into focus how difficult life during the war was and the extraordinary lengths that the heroes of the story will go to 'slap the faces of the Nazi's'. Goodness always outweighs evil.

I really enjoyed the book, another aspect of the war is told with impeccable research. I give the book 5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where everything seemed normal, and the word "war" was just a rumor, to waking up the next day and you are fearing for your life. This novel was such an interesting story in following Sarah through her journey of never feeling safe or home while war rages on and the Nazi's just continue to take more each day. Sarah was sent to Paris, a city she dreamed of being in and now once again she has to leave and give up all her dreams and the comfort of having been living a somewhat normal life. Heading to south, with her father figure Mr. Lieb, they once again have to change their identity and fear every single stop and inspection of their paperwork. Once they have crossed into Marseille, the horrors they have been hearing about have a direct hit. Mr. Lieb was round up and taken to camp, while simply out enjoying an evening and Sarah, now known as Simone puts her talent of art to work in helping others escape while refusing to give up hope on Mr. Lieb. With the Nazi's are getting better at recognizing forged paperwork, Simone has to put everything into making her forgeries perfect and knowing this could be life or death for someone, she puts herself on the line with every one she agrees to complete. Such a fascinating read and based on true people during the war. It always amazes me the strength and fearlessness these people had to save others. Thank you to the author for the free novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah, a young Jewish artist, and Mr. Lieb, her music teacher and guardian, must flee Berlin and make it to Paris as the Nazis are rounding up Jews. In Paris, they meet César, who is from Spain and is all too familiar with a brutal dictatorship.

When the war storms into Paris - they must run again, this time to Marseille. Here they join up with the resistance. Sarah, now with her new identity Simone, uses her artistic ability to forge new false papers for others - hoping to save many.

But then Mr. Lieb is arrested and thrown into an Internment camp. Simone, César, and others turn to an American journalist for help to rescue their beloved friend.

I love supporting debut authors, and Linda Joy Myers has written a historical fiction novel that blends the horror of war with the beauty of friendship, courage, and art. World War II fiction is always fueled with suspense, drama, and so much emotion; you’ll find that within these pages. I found this to be more of a plot-centered book, and as a character-driven reader, I wanted more from the individual characters. Yet, I believe historical fiction fans will truly enjoy this one.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @lindajoymyersauthor for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Linda’s first fiction book and it is absolutely amazing!

It’s historical fiction and tells of a Jewish woman, Sarah, who escapes Berlin to go to France during WWII. Forged papers save her and allow her to remain alive.

Because Sarah is an artist she becomes an excellent forger and is able to help others including British soldiers during the Paris occupation when she has to flee to Marseille.

This book is told in three parts (The Reich/Paris, Exodus, and Marseille). I loved the way it is broken down.

Linda does a great job explaining the German invasion of France and France’s political climate during this time.

It is also a love story when in Paris Sarah meets Cesar who has fled from Spain. He trains her in how to forge documents.

There are real life heroes in this book like Varian Fry and Donald Caskie who helped people escape during the War which added an interesting layer.

Finally, the part of this book for me that kept me thinking is that Sarah along her surrogate father, Mr. Lieb, have to change their identity three times in order to survive. Each name change puts them farther away from their Jewish roots. I could really feel that internal conflict these characters had with this during the read.

[Dorothy Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Forger of Marseille, Linda Joy Myers has created believable characters we care about, root for, and empathize with. We want them to prevail, prosper, and thrive against unspeakable evil. The story, which brings awareness to the work of Varian Fry and Donald Caskie—who aided the escape of many refugees during the war—is compelling, suspenseful, and full of fascinating, evocative details about this important time in history that we must not forget.

The novel is also tremendously cinematic; while reading I visualized the scenes in my mind’s eye. I recommend The Forger of Marseille to lovers of historical fiction, World War II aficionados, those who fancy a love story, and fans of coming-of-age, suspense, or spy novels; in other words, virtually any fiction lover should find something to enjoy between the pages of this well-crafted novel.

@ https://www.storycircle.org/book_revi...

[Gretchen Staebler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What?! This is a debut novel? Stunning.

I am a fan of WWII novels and have read many. The Forger of Marseille has a unique plot line. It is so well written, I can hardly believe it's the writer's debut novel, though she is an experienced memoirist. It is clearly well researched, but never feels like the history is crammed between the fiction paragraphs. The narrative flows seamlessly, touches all the senses, and the diverse characters are real and likeable. It had been a while since I picked up a book I couldn't wait to get back to, and all too quickly I am through this one. My only wish is that it had more at the end, both because I didn't want it to be over, and because I wanted a couple of threads completed. On the other hand, that was the nature of that war and others: families didn't always know what happened to loved ones. Kudos to the author! I'll be looking for Linda Joy Myers's next book.

[Kyomi O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lind Joy Meyers’ the Forger of Marseille is her tributes to art, love, humanity, and the trust on man's will powers in the most challenging times in our history.
Weaved with her poetical artistry and sound storytelling, Meyers created this compelling moving novel based in the Nazi occupied France during the WW II. The characters of this novel, a Jewish artist, Sarah, her father-like figure, a luthier and violinist, Mr. Lieb, and Sarah’s lover and a figure for a refugee network, Tomas, were well-characterized and integrated into the personable powerful storyline. The real historical figure, Varian Fry, who had thousands of scholars, artists, and political figures flee from the Nazi occupations, also empowered the story. Altogether, the Forger of Marseille is a finely orchestrated, beautiful, yet powerful piece of music.

[Barbara Ridley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to WWII literature. It's always amazing to me that there are new stories to tell of this era, but here we are with a dramatic tale of a young Jewish woman who flees Nazi Germany for the safety of Paris, and then has to flee again to the South of France after the German invasion. But she doesn't just flee, she gets involved in the resistance and uses her skills as an artist to create perfectly forged identity documents to help refugees and others in danger to cross the border into Spain and journey on to Portugal and beyond. The prose tends toward an overuse of exposition at times, but the last third of the novel becomes very suspenseful, and the reader is swept along cheering for the brave cast of characters.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forger of Marseille by Linda Joy Myers is a well written novel of historical fiction.

This book is set in 1938 in Berlin in the opening. The novel takes place during WW2 in two countries. There is a focus on art and music in this book. I found that to be a unique aspect to focus on.

I wasn't aware that artists had a place in helping people in this horrible war to spread the word through their art.

This was such a thought provoking and well researched historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed.

The characters were well written, complex, complicated, and well fleshed out.

The story was heartbreaking and filled with courage. I highly recommend this book!

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical fiction novel that begins in Berlin. We meet Sarah, a nineteen-year-old Jewish art student that becomes a forger. Sarah begins forging papers to give people a new identity so they can avoid being imprisoned. I like that I always learn things from historical fiction that I never knew. Besides the dangers of war this story also focuses on art, artist, and writers. Being a poet I really liked that this included artist and writers during the war. That is something I haven't read much about in historical fiction. What a great read. I really enjoyed it.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will start by noting this was a very well written book. The characters are well developed and the storyline is compelling and the plot is page turning. Once I started reading it, I was drawn in and despite my desire not to enter the world of the Nazis in my reading again, enter I did.

Despite my pledge to myself not to read any more books based in WWII I still end up with them in my pile. Why I do this to myself is beyond me. This was a very compelling read and written by a very strong hand with a detailed knowledge of those harrowing times.

It’s not a story to read right before bed, but it is a good book.

I received a free copy for my honest review

[Rhonda Wiley-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Joy is a flawless writer and crafter of emotion. She captured the heartache and the love of life, art, and beauty in this story. The dire conditions under which immigrants in Hitler's Germany and the French Vichy were shown without flinching from the horrors of what ideology can make people do to one another. On the other hand, the ability for art, music, and beauty to give us hope and moments of sheer joy were conveyed with a deft hand. This is a book for all fiction lovers of a good story than seamless keeps us engaged with the characters and the obstacles they encounter. Thanks to Linda Joy you are in good hands.

[Rebecca D’Harlingue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myers creates characters who manage to find the courage and humanity to resist the ever-increasing power of fascism in Germany, France, and Spain. We feel the fear that they feel, such that their actions are all the more inspiring. We anxiously follow their path as they struggle to evade the evil that is engulfing Europe, even as they take great risks to help others.

I have read many novels set during World War II, but this one tells a part of the story that I was not as familiar with. It is a stirring reminder that, even in the midst of horror, there are good people who will reach out to help others, and to search for and hold onto love.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about reading (or, consuming: late at night, turning page after page) The Forger of Marseille was the intertwining of World War II history with the fictional- and non-fictional- characters' journeys. And it's a love story: but love between father and daughter, girlfriends, anti-fascists, men who are comrades in arms, women using their art to fight the Nazis, and yes, the heroine and a hero, brave and true. Myers does well writing about the intrigue and excels when describing the mountains and the personal journeys- I think her background as a therapist and knowing people's deepest challenges gives her insight as a writer, and we are fortunate for it.

[Dorothy Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an avid fan of World War II historical fiction. This book is about the struggles of three people in particular. Sarah, Joshua and Tomas. Each escaping the dangers spreading across Europe in the 1930’s. Tomas from Franco, made it France and began forging documents to help refugees get out. Sarah and Joshua escaping from Berlin when she has an interaction with a Nazi Lieutenant who realized she was a Jew and would use it against her. Together they work to help others escape the Nazis. Makes one think about the hundreds of people who put themselves on the l8ne to stop the terror and live a free life.

[Penny Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read great fiction like this for pleasure, but with historical fiction like the Forger of Marseille I got the added bonus of learning things I did not know about WWII, like about an American journalist who went to France during the war to help poets, artists and intellectuals who were considered a threat to the Nazis German cause escape. I learned of the secret houses where forgers worked tirelessly, at risk of death to help other Jews and miscellaneous people escape. So we'll written ans suspenseful, danger at every turn, it was hard to put down. I loved it. Well done, Ms. Meyers!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Loved the sections inserted in the story that told of the Vichy government in France during WWII. I didn't know so many ins and outs of that time. The main characters who were Jewish had escaped from Germany to France for "safety" and were caught again when France fell. Some good tension of the war, German strafing of fleeing citizens and the constant need to flee. Plus a frightening early encounter by the main character with a Nazi that plays out nicely in the story. Well worth reading.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I love books about the people forging papers during WWII and this one delivered. I can always count on them being emotional. The chapters were on the shorter side which is opposite of a lot of other historical fiction I read so it made me feel like I was flying through the book. Even with the name changes it was easy to follow the characters. I loved Sarah’s character and how much love and determination she had to help others even though she was in hiding herself. She’s a character you can’t help but fall in love with. I loved her connection with Mr. Lieb

Thank you @lindajoymyersauthor and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.