Fair Stood the Wind for France

Bates, H E

ISBN 10: 0786180455 ISBN 13: 9780786180455

Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 1999

Synopsis

When John Franklin brings his plane down into Occupied France at the height of the Second World War, there are two things in his mind: the safety of his crew, and his own badly injured arm. It is a stroke of unbelievable luck when the family of a French farmer offers them protection. The family's courage derives from different sources. In Francoise, it was faith, a piety so humble and complete that the Reich could not touch her spirit. In her father, it was a glorious stubbornness; in her grandmother, a certitude born of surviving two wars. And in Pierre, it was hatred--a hatred so deep that only rarely did it flash on the surface. All through the delirious pain of his wounded arm, Franklin felt Francoise's presence like a cool, comforting hand. In the end, it was her courage and, above all, her faith that saved him--saved him not only from the enemy, but from himself.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Treacherous mud clutched at the wheels and the Wellington up-ended. End of mission. The great bomber had been giving the crew trouble since leaving Italy. Finally over occupied France, it settles like a weary, wounded edge on what seemed to Franklin a hard, smooth field.

The five members of the crew, already closely bound together that even conversation was seldom necessary, were welded by the crash into a single whole, one tiny forged weapon in the vast territory of the enemy -- weak and ineffectual yet confident as only men can be whose minds are free.

Francoise's family accepted them calmly. In Francoise it was faith, a simple piety so humble, so complete that all the mechanized myrmidons of the Reich could not touch her spirit. In her father it was stubbornness, that glorious pigheadedness of the French peasant who won't be pushed around. In her grandmother it was a kinship with the infinite. Having survived two wars, she remained unmoved by the swaggering vainglory of the Nazi. And in Pierre it was hatred, a hatred so deep that only rarely did it flash on the surface.

It was natural that Francoise should be so strongly drawn to Franklin, the pilot. His gentle strength, his sensitive mind, the careful restrained warmth of his emotion found a calm, sure response in the simple innocence and candor of the girl. All through the delirious pain of his torn, wounded arm, Franklin felt the girl's presence like a cool, comforting hand. In the end it was her courage and, above all, her faith which saved him -- saved him not only from the enemy but from himself.

About the Author

H. E. Bates (1905-1974) was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire. Before becoming a writer, he worked as a reporter and a warehouse clerk. He is best known for his works Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May, and My Uncle Silas, all of which have been adapted for television or film.

Ralph Cosham (1936-2014), a.k.a. Geoffrey Howard, was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles, and several of his narrations were named "Audio Best of the Year" by Publishers Weekly. In 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for his narration of Louise Penny's The Beautiful Mystery.

Edition details

• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0786180455
• ISBN 13: 9780786180455
• Binding: Audio CD
• Language: English