In June 1942, Etta Shiber was headed back to New York and away from Paris, where she had been a visitor, a citizen and an eventual inmate. Her liberation from Nazi captivity took over a year, but a compassionate release due to her failing health combined with diplomatic maneuverings paved the way. While free from the spartan conditions and harsh treatment of the Nazis, Etta ruminated on the well-being of her best friend and roommate, Kate Bonnefous. Kate was the initiator of the bold decision to aid in the escape of captive Allied soldiers in the early days of World War II.

Etta was a New Yorker who had lived an unassuming existence until Europe descended into a martial environment and Paris was soon occupied. She had met Kate in 1926 when she was on vacation in Paris with her husband. The pair became fast friends, and Kate was a source of emotional support when Etta suffered the dual loss of her husband and a close cousin. She encouraged Etta to relocate to Paris, where the two resided until 1940.

"PARIS UNDERCOVER is a magnificent and in-depth re-examination of atypical heroines carrying out acts of gallantry.... This impressive effort functions as both a dual memoir and a wartime story, and you will not want to miss it."

Kate was born into an affluent English family but was forced to cope with adversity when she lost both her parents in two years. As the eldest child, she needed to step up and arrange the care and guardianship of her siblings when her extended family balked at taking them in. Kate was a determined woman full of vigor who bucked social norms. Whereas Kate could be bold, Etta was timid and often beset by crippling anxiety.

Kate was a person of action, and she dove headfirst into volunteer work at the commencement of the Second World War. Whether working at hospitals or serving as a defense warden, her devotion was unquestioned. Upon reading about wounded British soldiers being held by the enemy, Kate set upon an intrepid course of action with deadly consequences if caught. She would visit a convalescent soldier and make her proposal to abet in their flight for freedom. Etta would be fraught with anxiety when Kate informed her of this, but her loyalty to her friend outweighed her nerves.

The operation would be unraveled within six months of its initiation as Kate, Etta and others were arrested. However, the impact of their contribution couldn’t be minimized, and while the Nazi government sought retribution, the press would see banner headlines meant to win hearts and minds.

PARIS UNDERCOVER is a magnificent and in-depth re-examination of atypical heroines carrying out acts of gallantry. The historical record was flawed, but author Matthew Goodman’s comprehensive research elucidates the actions of Kate Bonnefous, Etta Shiber and others in 1940 when Europe was being overrun by the blitzkrieg of the Third Reich. The number of soldiers given shelter and assistance by Kate and her network was impressive.

Kate and Etta’s story was meant to be told, but foolhardy decision-making coupled with greed led to a whitewashing of the truth. The compelling nature of the narrative is consistent, from the women’s path into each other’s lives to their subversive activities in a locked-down city to their harrowing incarcerations. This impressive effort functions as both a dual memoir and a wartime story, and you will not want to miss it.