Lyon, Occupied France, 1942, and when Yvette Dubois’s husband inherits a remote chateau, she reluctantly leaves Lyon behind – only for Armand to abandon her there to manage the vineyard alone.
Isolated among unfamiliar staff, Yvette feels trapped in a life she never wanted.
Everything changes the day she hears a mysterious knocking in the library. Behind a tapestry, she discovers a hidden tunnel – along with two frightened orphans.
Yvette learns the chateau once acted as an escape route for Jewish children and others fleeing Nazi persecution.
Yvette vows to continue the important work, wanting to honour the legacy. But Armand insists their safety depends on appeasing the occupiers.
And defying him could destroy their future – and their freedom.
As German patrols tighten their grip on the area and whispers of betrayal grow louder, Yvette must risk everything to protect the innocent – even if the day may come when she’ll need to use the tunnel to save herself.
The Lost Orphans of Lyon by Helen Parusel is published on 16 May, 2026.
There’s much more new historical fiction in Historia’s list of over 140 books coming out this year.
