Survivor

by Lesley Pearse Book 3 in the The Belle Trilogy series.

First published 2014

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4.4(14,138)

In 1938, seventeen-year-old Mariette Reilly leaves provincial New Zealand for London, determined to escape scandal and build a more glamorous life. Her self-confidence carries her into the West End, but it also separates her from the people who might protect her as Europe moves towards war.

The Blitz destroys the security Mari thought she had created and forces her to confront the effects of her earlier choices. She must learn practical courage, responsibility and compassion in a city under bombardment, becoming a survivor in more than the physical sense.

Mariette’s wartime transformation reflects the way civilian responsibilities expand under bombing. Housing, work, rescue and care for strangers become part of ordinary urban survival while conventional social distinctions are disrupted by evacuation and destruction. The Blitz forces her to measure independence not by escape from family expectations but by the responsibilities she is willing to accept for other people.