Code Name Hélène

“The weapons of warfare are different for women. Rarely do we have the luxury of bullets and bombs. Our tools are benign. Silk stockings and red lipstick. Laughter. Cunning. The ability to curse in foreign languages and make eye contact without trembling. But the most effective weapon by far, I believe, is charm.”

Nancy uses all the skills at her disposal to get out of difficult circumstances, such as this one: being stuck in a tree with her parachute. She contrasts the munitions of men with the feminine weapons she has at her disposal, chiefly her charming personality and her lipstick, which she never goes without. When facing future challenges, such as getting through Gestapo checkpoints, Nancy will use her looks and charms to survive.

“Henri Fiocca looks besotted. I am unsure how I gained the advantage in this situation, but I am determined to make the most of it. ‘If you want my company, Mr. Fiocca, you will ring me up.’”

Henri is “besotted” with Nancy from the first time he sees her. While she is attracted to him, she resists his attentions for some time. In this quote, Nancy is asserting her independence by refusing to be awed by Henri’s riches or charm. She wishes to be courted on her own terms.

“These maquisards are not formal soldiers. They are citizens, average men driven into the wilderness to escape either the Germans or the relève—the forced conscription of French nationals into the German workforce. They have left their homes and their families to make one last, desperate stand against Hitler’s invaders. I respect them, and I want to help them.”

“Maquisard” is the French term for members of the Maquis, the militia group that is part of the French Resistance against the German invasion. In this quote, Nancy expresses her sense of justice and her determination to assist in the fight, even as she knows how dangerous and “desperate” the battle will be.