The main character, Annie Gilbert, hears rumors that Hitler is preparing to invade several European countries, including Belgium.
But Annie’s town of Namur carries on with its 1940 summer festival, where she meets and falls in love with the handsome Henri Cailteur.
Henri’s work takes him to the Maginot line, and when Hitler attacks, Henri joins the Belgian militia to fight the troops parachuting from the sky.
By the time he returns to Namur, thousands of citizens are fleeing on foot, taking whatever they can carry.
Annie and Henri escape with his parents, but soon he is forced into hiding to avoid recruitment in the German army, or certain death.
His parents and Annie continue their desperate trek into France. She writes letters to Henri, not knowing if she will ever see him again.
Facing hunger, fatigue and Nazi bombings, the refugees move forward with the hope of returning home again one day.
Based on a true story, Escape from Namur is a dramatic tale of endurance and love.
“A wonderful book. I love the characters and how Brown helped us to see growth in their ability to handle faults in others,” said Veda Hale, Biographer of Maurine Whipple.
“Brown’s new novel, Escape from Namur, is a must-read for any fan of intimate wartime history,” said Lynne Larson, Novelist. (Serve Daily submission.)
