"She was one of a kind"
Reviewed by Evie Harris
Posted June 4, 2024
Historical | Women's Fiction Historical | Romance Historical
TOMORROW IS FOR THE BRAVE by Kelly Bowen is a work of WW II historical fiction whose protagonist Violet St. Croix is inspired by Susan Travers who was the only female member of the French Foreign Legion. In 1939 Violet, a child of privilege, lived in France with her parents. Recently engaged, she began to see that her fiancé had the same rigid expectations of her that her parents had. She envisioned a life where there would be no room for her to be herself. After France fell to Germany, against both her parents and her fiancé's wishes, she volunteered to join the Red Cross. She was an excellent driver and wanted to drive ambulances. She was told she could only train to be a nurse. No matter how hard she tried, she was not a good nurse. When the opportunity arose for her to prove her driving skills in the field, her nursing days were pretty much over.
TOMORROW IS FOR THE BRAVE is the story of a remarkably brave woman who was not afraid to face her fears. Her title was Adjutant St. Croix and she took her assignments of driving officers and their documents very seriously. After all, it was her job. Much of the story takes place in the North Africa region where the fighting was intense and the casualties were high. Amidst all the danger and horror, Violet suspected there was a spy amongst them. But who? How could she trust anyone to help her uncover the saboteur before countless more lives were lost?
The well-plotted story is fascinating. The protagonist leaves one way of life and enters into another she never could have imagined. Unlikely friendships and unbreakable bonds are formed. There are depictions of action that are so vivid that they are breathtaking. Profound and exciting, this book is well worth reading. Highly recommended.
SUMMARY
Based on true events, Tomorrow Is for the Brave is a gripping World War II page-turner about a courageous woman who risk it all for what is right-perfect for fans of Natasha Lester and Kristen Harmel.
1939, France: Lavish parties, fast cars, and a closet full of the latest fashion—to the average eye, socialite Violet St. Croix seemingly has it all. But what she truly wants is a life full of meaning and purpose. So when France falls to Germany, Violet defies her parents’ wishes and joins the war effort. With her impeccable skill for driving under pressure, she is soon sent to North Africa to shepherd French Foreign Legion officers carrying valuable intelligence through dangerous territory.
But as the Allies encounter one mishap after another, Violet becomes convinced there is a spy in their ranks. And when her commanding officer is murdered, Violet realizes she might be the only one who can uncover the traitor and save the lives of countless soldiers on the front lines. Convincing others to believe her is difficult enough. Finding someone she can trust just might be impossible.
ExcerptBeneath her hands, the ambulance’s engine rumbled reassuringly. She put it into gear and was
rewarded as it rolled forward obediently. It was big and boxy and far more unwieldy than
anything she’d driven before but she’d figure it out. She braked and brought it to a stop.
George appeared at the door to the cab. “It can be driven.”
It was more a statement than a question but Violet answered anyway. “Yes.” She exited the
cab again. “Let’s get the patients loaded into the back. You can ride with me, and the private can
drive the horses back.”
George gave her a curious look but only nodded. “Very good.”
They were helping the last of the patients into the rear of the ambulance when they heard the
first plane. It was a distant drone, and at first, Violet didn’t understand what it was until the
patient in the bloody coat yelled a warning. He yelled in Finnish, and Violet couldn’t understand
him but what she could understand was the urgency and panic in his voice. Comprehension and icy fear lanced through her simultaneously.
She turned to where the young private was standing frozen on the road, holding the team that
still hadn’t been rehitched to the sledge.
“Get the horses off the road,” Violet yelled at him. “Into the trees. As far from the road as you
can get.”
The soldier blanched.
“Go!” Violet shrieked, and he finally jerked into action, leading the animals into the safety of
the dark shadows.
“Those planes will be on top of us before we can unload the patients again,” George warned,
and for the first time tonight, Violet heard fear in her friend’s voice. “We’re going to have to run
if we’re going to survive this.”
“I know.”
George slammed the rear doors shut and bolted toward the passenger door of the cab.
Violet scrambled around the other side and into the driver’s seat. She put the truck in gear,
forcing herself to concentrate so she didn’t stall it. She had to hunch low to see through the
cracked windshield. The growl and rumble of the truck’s engine temporarily drowned out the
sound of the approaching planes. Violet geared up as fast as she could, putting as much distance
between them and the bombed clearing as possible. The burning ambulance was like a damn
beacon, she thought frantically. And the full moon, while providing her the ability to navigate the
road, was not to their advantage either.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” The patient with the bloodied coat and bandaged head
had braced himself in the interior opening behind them. “We should stop. We can’t drive like
this.”
Violet shook her head. “If we stop, we’ll be like a sitting duck.”
The ambulance gained speed, and trees whipped by them in the silver darkness. The cold air
lashed her exposed cheeks through the open window.
“Can you even see?” he shouted.
“I can see just fine,” Violet told him. Not a lie, exactly. She could see enough. She shifted
gears, pushing the truck as hard as she dared.
“I really don’t think—”
“It is not your job to think right now,” she snarled. “It is your job to let me do mine. So cease
talking, sit down, and get yourself secure because it’s about to get rough.”
Violet didn’t look back to see if he’d complied but focused all her attention on the road ahead.
The whine of approaching planes could now be heard over the sound of the labouring
ambulance. She didn’t dare turn on the headlamps, and the truck jolted and bumped over the
frozen, rutted road. She was driving far too fast for the conditions, she knew, but if she could
just get the ambulance up another kilometer or maybe two, the trees thickened enough that she
might be able to get off the main road and hide down one of the smaller lake tracks scattered in
the area.
Beside her, George sat grim and silent, and they both ignored the cries of pain and shouts of
alarm from the back.
The first bomb fell somewhere behind them, a dull, crumping noise that ignited the darkness
and shook the ambulance. George gripped the side of the ambulance door, and Violet gritted her
teeth but didn’t slow. The second bomb detonated in the trees on the passenger side and
threatened to send the ambulance careening. Trees exploded, and rocks and wood fragments
rained down on the ambulance in a deadly shower. Violet eased off the gas while she fought the
wheel, careful not to overcorrect, and cajoled the heavy vehicle from the edge of the road back to
the center.
The third bomb hit the side of the road ahead of the ambulance, and Violet had a brief
impression of an eruption of earth and fire on the driver’s side before everything went dark in
front of the windshield.
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