The Paris Agent

The Paris Agent is set in 1940s France, England, and Germany and 1970s England, and the author has been praised for her extensive research and dedication to crafting a sense of verisimilitude in her writing. As the dual timelines unfold, the core challenges encountered by each character reflect the enduring impact of wartime experiences on individuals and their families. 

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was formed in 1940 and dissolved in 1946. Led by high-ranking British officials, the SOE’s primary aims were to send spies into Axis-occupied territories in order to create secret armies and sabotage Axis-led efforts. Missions included disrupting municipal factories’ production, leading labor strikes, and engaging in direct attacks.

Postwar Britain saw the creation of a welfare state in 1946 and the National Health Service in 1947, as well as the nationalization of several industries. As Noah demonstrates, veterans struggled to acclimate back into normal society. By 1970, the year in which Charlotte, Noah, and Theo dive into their historical mission, Britain had already undergone several swings of the political pendulum, and the turmoil of postwar reconstruction had largely quieted. The author employs these dual timelines to imply that the emotional and psychological reckoning of war often must be postponed until financial stability and material safety have been regained, allowing survivors the chance to process their wartime experiences.

As Rimmer notes in the author letter after the acknowledgements, this text was largely inspired by the experiences of female agents during World War II. Rimmer lists Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden as her primary sources of inspiration. Szabo, the inspiration for the character of Eloise, was born in France to a French mother and a British father. She joined the war effort in England, enlisting in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, then briefly left the service to give birth. Her husband was killed in action before he ever saw his daughter, and his untimely death inspired Szabo to join the Special Operations Executive. She had extensive training, but her first deployment was delayed after she sprained her ankle while parachuting. She was sent to assess munitions factories and use her native French to gain access to German-occupied Rouen. However, she was taken captive by the SS and sent to Germany, arriving at the Ravensbrück concentration camp for women in August of 1944. She was transferred to a punishment camp at Konigsberg in October and executed in February at the age of 23. Diana Rowden, the inspiration for the character of Josie, was raised in England and educated at the Sorbonne. After joining the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, she was recruited to the SOE. She delivered secret messages via bicycle and corresponded with local members of the resistance. She was arrested by the Gestapo and executed at Natzweiler-Struthof.