Teaser Tuesday - Jackdaws by Ken Follett

The day was gone
The night came on
The monks and the friars, they searched till dawn
When the sacristan saw
On crumpled claw
Come limping a poor little lame jackdaw
(legend of the Jackdaw of Reims, the bird that stole the Bishop's ring)

"Exactly fifty (English) women were sent into France as secret agents by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. Of those, thirty-six survived the war. the other fourteen gave their lives. This book is dedicated to all of them." Preface -Jackdaws by Ken Follett

Teaser Tuesday is described by its host, Miz B over at Should Be Reading ,as a "weekly bookish meme" open to any reader who wants to play along. If, like me, you're always curious about what people are reading or on the lookout for the next great read, then this may by your meme. To play, just click on Miz B's link above for the simple rules.




"Paul had heard of Felicity Clairet. She was something of a legend among the small group who knew the secret of the Allies' clandestine war. . .survived undercover in France longer than anyone. . .code name Leopardess, and people say she moved around the streets of occupied France with the silent footsteps of a dangerous cat. They also said she was a pretty girl with a heart of stone. She had killed more than once." p. 57

Book Description: On the eve of D-day in WW II, a ragtag gang of all-female British agents parachuted behind German lines in occupied France. Code named Jackdaws (for the jackdaw and Bishop of Reims legend), the saboteurs were sent by the SOE to blow up a key telephone exchange and Gestapo stronghold in the Cathedral at Reims. Their aim was to cripple vital communication lines between the Nazi forces before the D-day landing of the Allies. Even though led by the fearless Major Flick Clairet, could six relatively untrained women escape German capture, interrogation and death--and complete their mission?

(Image credit: jackdaw by http://www.hampshirecam.co.uk)