Orphans of St Agnes

Margot has spent most of her life at St Agnes' Orphanage with her little sister Lucie. She does her best to care for all the children, cradling them under the stars when Sister Helen can't get them to sleep. But she knows that when the Nazis reach the gates of Paris, the Jewish orphans will be in terrible danger. She must help them escape ... One night, Sister Helen tells Margot she has found a rich family to take Lucie in. But there will be no safety for the other children – unless Margot can lead them to the French coast for a ship destined for America.

Paris, 1940. With its cheerful, pink-painted walls, St Agnes Orphanage is the only place that Lucie has ever felt truly safe. Fleeing the German occupation of Paris broke her heart, so when she is separated from her sisters on the road, she makes the terrifying decision to return. The orphanage is unrecognisable – the walls painted stark white, the ivy and wisteria that once clambered over them cruelly destroyed. Lucie's heart stops when she sees the red and black Nazi flags hanging from the windows. She'd dreamt of the warmth of St Agnes every night, but her home has new owners.

Paris, 1944. Stepping under the dim glow of the streetlamp, Jewish orphan Josette tightens her coat and adjusts her leather satchel. For months, she has been slipping unnoticed past the enemy, carrying important messages for the Resistance inside hollowed-out textbooks. Paul's beloved little sister, Suzanne, has been captured by the Nazis and accused of treason. Fear gripping her, Josette knows that if she and Paul can find a way into the prison by morning, they might be able to save her – but it may cost them everything.