The Mademoiselle Alliance: A Novel

Written by Natasha Lester

Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

How did a young Parisian mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in occupied France?

“A passionate, fiery tribute to a historical woman so extraordinary she almost defies belief.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Briar Club

Morocco, 1928. Marie-Madeleine Méric is not the kind of woman who stays quietly at her husband’s side. Polyglot, pianist, and pilot, she is a woman of many skills, with unconventional interests—like driving in car rallies—that earn her a daredevil reputation. But dabbling in intelligence work to assist her military officer husband and the French government helps her recognize who she is at heart: an adventurer.

Paris, 1936. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Marie-Madeleine is living in France, her marriage now in shambles, when a chance encounter with an enigmatic spy turns her life upside down. He recruits her to help build a resistance network, and she conceals her identity—and gender—as she navigates a perilous double life.

Eventually, she steps into the role of leader of what is now known as Alliance, despite the naysayers who doubt in a woman’s ability to do so. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away for both Marie-Madeleine and the agents under her care. At the helm of Alliance, she achieves seemingly impossible feats of espionage that help turn the tide of the war. But the most impossible, and dangerous, feat of them all? Falling in love.

New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester beautifully brings Marie-Madeleine Méric Fourcade’s story to life in this powerful, heartbreaking tale of resilience that reminds us what it means to cherish those we love and fight for them with every breath.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 8, 2025
• ISBN: 9798217065233

Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester worked as a marketing executive for L'Oréal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing. She completed a Master of Creative Arts and in her spare time loves to teach writing, is a sought after public speaker and can often be found playing dress-up with her three children. She lives in Perth. For all the latest news from Natasha visit: www.natashalester.com.au Twitter: @Natasha_Lester Instagram: natashalester Facebook: NatashaLesterAuthor

Reviews for The Mademoiselle Alliance

[Michelle Mack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought I had read all of the stories about this woman. Yet Natasha Lester wrote the most beautiful one yet she covers topics that will never even include included in the others.
A must read !!

[jacsun · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally, a very courageous woman gets the recognition she deserves with this remarkable story.

Marie-Madeleine Méric was the leader of a 3,000 agent Resistance network in France during WWII. With intense research, Natasha Lester revealed how she ended up with this role during a time when most women were housewives taking care of their children. Not Madame Méric.

She was participating in car rallies with her husband’s disapproval. She wanted to be free and rather than stay with him in Morocco, she left with her two children and went to Paris. In 1940, at 30 years old, she had to do something about the Nazis taking control. She ended up stepping into the greatest journey of her life.

I almost didn’t get past the first page when it mentioned what would happen if she was arrested by the Nazis. It hit me hard thinking about the world news of today with fear spreading rapidly. This book had a progressive timeline of changes in Paris from 1940 to 1945.

Certainly, there was a lot going on and it had to be a difficult task to decide what to include in this story. It started strong yet, in the middle, there was a lot of detail and number of agents that made it move at a slower pace.

The best part was at the end when I wanted to reach out and hug this woman who was so brave. The Author Notes were full of warmth and wisdom like experiencing a wonderful dessert after a good meal.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 8, 2025.