In 1942 in Belgium, young Micheline leads the Sapphire Line, an underground network that helps downed British airmen escape from occupied Europe. Hannah, a member of the Resistance, arrives in Belgium after narrowly escaping the Gestapo in Berlin and finds refuge with her cousin Lily. While Hannah is grateful to Lily, every day in Belgium increases her risk of arrest. Meanwhile, Lily attempts to keep life as normal as possible for the sake of her young son, despite the growing dangers. When Hannah crosses paths with Mateo, Micheline's brother, she agrees to run errands for the Sapphire Line in exchange for passage out of the country. Then one of the missions goes awry, and Lily's family is arrested and sent to a camp. A distraught Hannah is determined to rescue her cousin, despite impossible odds, before she and her family end up at Auschwitz. It is a mission made even more complex after Micheline discovers that her network may have been infiltrated. Grounded in history, Jenoff's latest captivating WWII tale, which follows Woman with the Blue Star (2021), entwines heartrending journeys of survival, betrayal, and human connection.

Jenoff (The Woman with the Blue Star) draws on the activities of a WWII resistance network dedicated to getting downed Allied airmen to safety in her uneven latest. Hannah Martel created satiric anti-Nazi cartoons that her lover, Isaac, printed in his underground Berlin newspaper. But in 1942, after Nazis kill Isaac, Hannah flees Germany for Havana via passage on the MS Brittany. However, upon arrival, the refugees aren't allowed to disembark, and with America's shores closed to them as well, the ship returns to Europe, where some will be allowed to live in Belgium. Hannah ends up living with her cousin Lily Abel and her family, and seeking help from Micheline, 23, who runs a resistance effort to rescue downed Allied pilots and air crew. Hannah finds herself falling for Micheline's brother, Matteo, who's involved in his sister's campaign. In the final act, Jenoff reveals a complex web of connections between the Abels, Matteo, and Hannah. The author finds plenty of thrills in the historical material, which makes a melodramatic denouement involving a love triangle feel all the more unnecessary. Thin characterizations are another minus. There's little to help this one stand out from the glut of WWII fiction. (Feb.)