I felt this as I passed the papers to Aubrion, and I could see that he felt it too: he unfolded Le Soir with a hunger that bordered on indecency.' remarkable saga. Handling fresh newspapers, still warm and wet from the mouth of the presses, is a holy thing.

I unbundled a stack of Le Soir from the pile at my feet, handing him a copy. When the end comes, it’s very satisfying and, as you’d expect, a bit bittersweet.Īubrion tossed me a few coins. They’re basically nerd spies, and it’s glorious.Ī neat framing device also layers a mystery on top of the journalistic proceedings, adding another emotional facet to the already-moving story. We meet a young orphan who’s a delightful agent of chaos a charming, jaded journalist a bordello madame and smuggler with a secret, and various other troublemakers who use their gifts for thinking and writing to fight the Nazis. Ramzipoor deftly blends real-life heroes with fictional characters. This little paper that could became a lasting symbol of the resistance and bolstered the spirits of the Belgians.Į.R. It was produced by a faction of the Belgian resistance and written in a style that ridiculed German propaganda - and resulted in significant Nazi retribution. The Faux Soir was a real spoof newspaper published in occupied Belgium on 09 November 1943. We follow their escapades - often dangerous, sometimes sweet, always exciting - as time ticks down and the tension ramps up. Our wily, cynical journalists effectively become double agents, appeasing Wolff and producing their own newspaper in record time. Sure, these will probably be the last pieces they ever write, but their literary shenanigans will return power to the Belgians via the gift of laughter. Our ragtag group of writers, editors, and other rabblerousing types decide to fill the pages of their newspaper with satirical articles and photos that mock Hitler. He hunts down and captures a group of underground journalists and gives them an ultimatum: They will write anti-Allies propaganda for Le Soir, and in exchange, he won’t kill them immediately.īut then the mischief begins.

A Nazi bigwig, appropriately named August Wolff, has been tasked with swaying public opinion against the Allies. Brussels is occupied by the Nazis, and they’ve co-opted Le Soir, the country’s most popular paper, as a mouthpiece for their propaganda.

Here’s the setup, a lesser-known true story from the Belgian resistance: It’s 1943. Populated with complex heroes and tension that ratchets up by the minute, it’s moving and - what alchemy is this? - fun to read. But this triumphant mashup of heist story, workplace drama, war saga, and spy tale comes close. World War II novels rarely have happy endings.

The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor