Reviewed by Colleen McLennan
The novelist, Paullina Simons, was born in Leningrad in 1963 and moved with her family to the United States when she was ten years old. Her early interest in writing began when she was twelve years old. She was educated in New York, Kansas and England, graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Kansas. Ms Simons is the author of many novels that have gained international best- seller recognition.
This novel is set in German occupied Antwerp, Belgium, leading up to and following the landings in Normandy, France, which took place on June 6th, 1944. At this time, the Nazi regime was crumbling and an expectation of an invasion by Allied forces was imminent. German command was being challenged by partisan fighters whose daring incursions were fuelled by patriotism and the need to survive when harsh reprisals were imposed.
The story begins with Charlie, a woman leader of a partisan group. She attempts to provide an escape route, by ship, for Zeus, a Jewish boy in need of protection from the Nazis. This is something she has done for others on previous occasions. A ship, the Serra Nova, is moored on the Scheldt River and is the means by which the fleeing escapees can obtain freedom. While waiting on the dock to place Zeus in the hands of the captain of the Serra Nova, she witnesses a massacre on board another ship, the La Fortuna, which is moored close by. There is only one survivor, a Congolese man, Ngomo. Charlie abandons her attempt to deliver Zeus to the captain of Serra Nova and she and Zeus rescue the badly injured Ngomo. So begins a saga which is both daring and dangerous.
Readers are taken on a pathway involving La Fortuna. Its cargo is of immense interest to both German and Allied forces. The relentless pursuit by SS Sturmbannfuhrer, Erich Von Reinhardt begins. He suspects the cargo contains more than coffee, tin and cobalt. Meanwhile, in London, covert plans are put in place to attempt to secure the cargo of La Fortuna. The King of Belgium has a special interest. An elite group of Allied soldiers who had survived the landing at Normandy, led by Fletcher Gray, is charged with the mission of parachuting into Antwerp to prevent the cargo from falling into the hands of the Nazis. Also of importance was to secure the safety of the Congolese man, Ngomo. This elite group had the necessary skills considered vital to the success of the mission. Fletcher was to link the group up with the partisan fighters who could provide assistance and shelter.
The leader of the women partisan fighters, Charlie, calls in her team, the most prominent being Louise, to facilitate the necessities of shelter, food, forged documents and clothes for the incoming Allied group. Charlie has local contacts who are invaluable to the mission. The Allied group arrives, not without incident, but Charlie and her team are able to connect. Von Reinhardt continues his pursuit, searching until he actually discovers what the cargo contains. He ramps up his conquest and focusses his primary task on taking charge of the cargo. What follows is a harrowing period of subterfuge, cruelty, betrayal and death. Saul Grunfell, a scientist with self-interest, to the detriment of his own family, has a prominent role in the handling of the cargo.
Ngomo and Zeus develop a relationship in keeping with their shared goal of not being detected by the Nazis. During hazardous fighting, Charlie makes the decision to have Wolski (another of Fletcher’s men) take Ngomo and Zeus to safety in her truck and instructs him to drive south towards Switzerland. She gives him the details of a safe haven in a village called Le Gras.
In the midst of the dangerous activities which have taken place, an attraction between Fletcher and Charlie and Louise and Rafael (one of Fletcher’s men) becomes evident. Each couple are drawn together by the need for human contact and comfort. Relationships develop. The culmination of Fletcher’s mission is not without loss in his group. The partisans also suffer significant loss. Readers who are looking for the “happy ever after together” scenario may be disappointed. The fate of Von Reinhardt may feel as if justice is not being done, but ultimately his fate is left in his own hands. Some readers may feel some kind of satisfaction in learning of his very reduced circumstances and the absence of any influence and power.
This novel is a long and engaging read set in a time when tomorrow was not guaranteed. In an uncertain world today, I wonder if we have learned the value of peace and freedom, and the need to cherish it more than ever.
The Bell and the Blade
[2025]
by Paullina Simons
Pan Macmillan Australia
ISBN: 9 781761 266560
$34.99: 592pp