Anne here, and today I'm interviewing Christine Wells, whose latest book, One Woman's War: A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny, is coming out next week. You can preorder it here.
Christine's books featuring strong, fascinating women have gained some wonderful reviews. “One Woman's War is a thrilling and suspenseful ride, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams and Natasha Lester. Inspired by historic events, this story will have readers on the edge of their seats. Christine Wells’ masterful characterisation and meticulous research have made for one of the best books of the year.” (Kelly Rimmer New York Times Bestselling Author of The German Wife)
Booklist: “An exciting story, well told.”
Anne: Christine, welcome back to the Word Wenches, it's lovely to see you here. (For those who haven't met Christine before, she's been interviewed by Nicola, Andrea, and now me. You can see our earlier interviews with her by clicking on those links.
Christine, after a very successful career writing Regency-era historical romance (as Christina Brooke) you've switched in recent years to writing historical novels, set around WW2. Apart from One Woman's War, there is Sisters of the Resistance: A Novel of Catherine Dior's Paris Spy Network, inspired by the real-life bravery of Catherine Dior, sister of the fashion designer and a heroine of World War II France. The Juliet Code is about a British agent and wireless operator in occupied Paris who was caught by the Germans.
What is it about WW2 that appeals to you?
Christine: First of all, thank you so much for having me back on Word Wenches, Anne. I’m delighted to be here with so many long-standing friends and writers whose work I admire so much. And I know many in your community, as well, so I’m waving to everyone.
As for the war, when I was in year seven at school, about twelve years old, I did a six month project on the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler. My father, who was always a keen historian, taught me how to research, using several different sources. I found the subject horrifying and absorbing and I have been fascinated by World War II ever since.
However it wasn’t until relatively recently that I began reading in depth about the incredible things women did during the war, and in particular, while working for British intelligence.
Women who were dropped behind enemy lines in France like Nancy Wake and Noor Inayat Khan, inspired “The Juliet Code”. Women who worked in counterespionage for MI-5, and women whose title was secretary but who effectively worked as intelligence officers themselves inspired “One Woman’s War”. And of course, those brave women of the French resistance inspired “Sisters of the Resistance”, particularly Catherine Dior, whose unassuming stoicism was in stark contrast to the glittering world of fashion her brother Christian inhabited.
Anne: One Woman's War is billed as a story about Victoire “Paddy” Bennett, the real-life inspiration for the James Bond character, Miss Moneypenny. How did you come across her?
Christine: I’m a bit obsessed with spies and I had been reading biographies of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels. Fleming himself worked for the intelligence arm of the British Royal Navy during World War II and it’s where he gleaned inspiration for the James Bond novels. Some of the less likely plots in those novels were based on real events, such as when Bond emerges from the Mediterranean in scuba gear, strips off to reveal a dinner suit and then swans into a casino in Thunderball—that actually happened in WWII! Researching further, I stumbled across a newspaper article about the women in Fleming’s life—most of them, strong, witty and clever—the opposite of the women he often wrote about!
Quite a few different women have been touted as inspiration for Miss Moneypenny and the truth is that of course, probably more than one woman did inspire that character, but because Fleming took so much Bond-lore from his time in Naval Intelligence, where Paddy worked for him as a secretary, she seemed to best fit the bill. You can see her pictured here in later life in the pink jacket, with Lois Maxwell, who played Moneypenny in several Bond films.
Despite the Moneypenny connection, it was really Paddy herself who intrigued me. She was such a redoubtable woman, she seemed perfect for my next heroine.
Anne: Paddy is a fascinating character. Tell us about her.
Christine: Victoire “Paddy” Bennett grew up living in The Boltons in London, which is one of the most expensive addresses in the world, inhabited now by sheikhs and movie stars. Her Irish mother was one of the first women to receive a medical degree from Trinity College, Dublin. Paddy said, “Half of me is Irish and half of me is Yorkshire, so the battle is terrific!”
The story goes that Paddy’s mother, deeming the nursing home where she was to give birth to Paddy too uncomfortable, removed herself to the exclusive Claridge’s Hotel, where Paddy was born. Paddy studied architecture at the Sorbonne but returned to London when war broke out.
She trained as a nurse but was soon recruited to the Naval Intelligence Directorate, where she worked for several officers, including Ian Fleming. She was very young but proved herself such a valuable asset to the NID’s “Room 39” that the officers joked her fiancé was setting back the war effort when he married her, obliging her to resign. Later, Paddy became involved as an operative in the famous wartime deception, Operation Mincemeat—an operation coincidentally the subject of a recent movie starring Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen. Paddy is not mentioned in the movie, with a large part of her role in the deception folded into the character of Jean Leslie. Paddy was made a Dame of the British Empire for her wartime service.
One of the best stories about Paddy, and one that convinced me I had to write about her, happened when she was in her seventies. She repulsed a would-be mugger by kicking him where it hurt! She claimed it was her years of ballet that gave her the requisite flexibility and a sturdy pair of Marks and Spencer shoes.
Anne: Paddy sounds like a cracker! One Woman's War is not just about one woman, though, is it? Apart from Paddy's good friend(s), I found Friedl rather interesting, too.
Christine: Thank you! I had fun writing Friedl. She is a less transparent character than Paddy—we are never quite sure what her motives are or which way she will jump. Friedl Stöttinger was also a real woman, an Austrian national who became a double agent for the British. I was fascinated to gain access to her MI-5 file from the National Archive, but it was difficult to make out her true character from the various accounts of her because many of the men around Friedl wrote her off as a ditzy good-time girl. Others who knew her better said she was intelligent and an excellent spy. However, this duality gave me the opportunity to write a more complex character.
Anne: Can you give us a little taste of One Woman's War, please?
Christine: Of course! In this short excerpt, Paddy meets Ian Fleming for the second time. In their first encounter, Paddy boldly stepped up to take over dealing with the passenger manifest when Fleming was in charge of evacuating the British from Bordeaux as the Germans marched on Paris.
“We all have to do our bit,” said Paddy automatically, catching sight of two tall men in full Navy uniform. Both looked intimidatingly distinguished. One, a great, burly older man—fair and handsome in his way—who must be the admiral. But it was the younger officer who caught and held Paddy’s attention. Tall and lean, dark hair, hooded blue eyes, long nose. She’d seen him before . . .
“Bordeaux!” she exclaimed, before her mother had the chance to make the introductions. “Fancy meeting you here.”
The admiral’s eyebrows shot up. He glanced from Paddy to his subordinate.
“Admiral Godfrey, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Victoire Bennett,” said Edith.
“And this is Commander Ian Fleming,” said Godfrey, glancing between Paddy and the younger officer. “But I take it you’ve met?”
“Not formally,” answered Fleming, drawing out a silver cigarette case from his pocket.
“Bordeaux, eh?” said Godfrey, cocking an eyebrow at Paddy. “Ah, of course. You must have been one of the evacuees.”
“That’s right,” said Paddy. “I’m surprised Commander Fleming remembers me.”
“Of course I remember. Your effrontery was only matched by your efficiency.” He turned to Godfrey. “Tell her she’s hired.”
Anne: Effrontery and efficiency— I loved that line. I've thoroughly enjoyed your WW2 stories (and for readers, I'll just confess that I cheated with One Woman's War and skipped to the end to see if ended well, and it did.)
I saw on your FaceBook page that you'd just handed in your next novel. Would you care to tell us a little about it?
Christine: Thank you, Anne. I’m chuckling about the skip to the end, and yes, all ends well in my books!
My next story is a bit of a departure because although it is partly set during WWII, it’s not really about the war. It’s about Cleo Davenport, who is an orphan living with her English guardian (a female Egyptian scholar) at the famous Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo. (If you’ve read the marvellous Amelia Peabody mysteries, you will know all about Shepheard’s!) When Cleo travels to England and Paris in search of her real parents, she is told she is the secret love child of Edward VIII and an infamous Parisian courtesan.
This novel is a “what if” based on the true story of Princess Marguerite Fahmy and her affair with the Prince of Wales, (as he was then, later to become Edward VIII before finally ending as the Duke of Windsor after abdicating the throne). This has more of a romance thread than my other historical fiction, and I was excited to write a love story again.
Anne: Will you be giving away a copy of ONE WOMAN'S WAR?
Christine: I’d love to give away a copy of ONE WOMAN’S WAR to one lucky person who answers the question: What was the best book you read in the past year (excluding present company and Word Wenches’ books as they are already on my list!) Not that my TBR pile needs to grow any taller…
Anne: Thanks so much for visiting the WordWenches, Christine.
Christine: It’s been a pleasure. Thanks very much to you and the other Wenches, Anne!