A Flame in the Dark  Maria Gill

                                                                                     

A Flame in the Dark (2026)
Maria Gill
One Tree House 440 pages
Paperback
978-1-990-03549-4

 

‘Watch out world,’ she whispered, ‘Here I come.’

 Maria Gill’s first young adult novel is a stunner – a fast-paced account of war hero, Nancy Wake’s life in the French wartime resistance.

 A Flame in the Dark begins dramatically, with Nancy hiding underneath a verandah while police tramp over it, searching for her. But this is not a wartime escape from the Gestapo. Nancy was a 16-year-old runaway, escaping from a difficult home life. Her family background and upbringing in New Zealand and Sydney are lightly sketched in, so that within a few pages Nancy has begun to satisfy her wish for travel and adventure. She sails to Europe and works as a freelance reporter based in Paris. 1930s Europe is full of tense situations and dramatic moments. Nancy thrives, even witnessing the assassination of the King of Yugoslavia. Readers also see the rise of fascism in Germany and Austria through Nancy’s eyes.

 Maria Gill has created a well-structured story, so that her chapters usually end at a turning point or key moment in Nancy’s life. The best example comes when Nancy is about to marry Henri, a charming French businessman, and enjoy a life of bliss in Paris but, while she is in London, war is declared. Nancy’s strength of character is often shown in this account by the way other people respond to her.  Thus, the impact of news of the outbreak of war is seen through Nancy’s comforting of a weeping French schoolgirl who is at boarding school in Britain.

 After her attempt to join the military is rejected, Nancy marries Henri.  She is working as a volunteer ambulance driver when the Germans sweep into France. Most of the novel is still to come, almost all of it portraying Nancy’s experiences with the Maquis, the French Resistance. The action scenes in German-occupied France are vivid and gritty. Mocked-up newspaper headlines at the beginning of each chapter keep the reader aware of the date and how the war is developing. The claustrophobic atmosphere and the constant fear of betrayal and death are well conveyed. Skilful flashbacks provide telling details about Nancy’s courage. At one dangerous period, Nancy always carried a hand grenade when there was a knock at the door.

 Many of the Maquis were doubtful about women taking part in the resistance and Nancy had to prove herself just as hard-talking, hard-fighting and hard-drinking as the men she led. She not only succeeded but also showed that the Germans would be less suspicious of a woman cyclist carrying groceries in her string bag than men in a car. ‘They’ll think I’m a farmer’s wife, going shopping,’ says Nancy. Thus, she pedalled over 500 km to make a desperate search for a contact to deliver a crucial radio message. She succeeded and then returned safely, although exhausted and in great pain. Nancy’s other wartime exploits are well described, along with the intense personal and emotional costs involved. 

 Rather than rehash history books, Maria Gill has made use of her detailed research to construct convincing conversations which carry Nancy’s story along and pass on information.

‘The Gestapo have put a price on the head of the woman helping refugees escape.’
’Me?’
‘They don’t know who you are. They call you the ‘White Mouse’ … because you’ve been hard to catch. 

 A Flame in the Dark is an exciting page-turner of a novel, immensely readable and continually surprising. It is full of action, drama, suspense and even has romance and humour. As a historian, I am impressed by the skilful way Maria Gill retells Nancy’s story as a novel that will attract and inform young adult readers.  Because it is so well written, it should also become a ‘cross-over novel,’ one that is enjoyed by adult readers as well.

 Fifi Coulston’s striking cover portrait captures Nancy’s appearance and spirit perfectly.

 A glossary, photos and an author’s note are included.

  Trevor Agnew [Review 3832]

Note: This review originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of Magpies magazine.