My French Whore

This accomplished, touching and often hilarious debut novel by Oscar-nominated screenwriter and star Gene Wilder tells the story of Private Peachy, an unassuming young GI who leaves America for the trenches of France in 1918 to try to escape the heartbreak of a failed marriage. When he is captured by enemy troops in No Man's Land and about to be shot, Peachy hits on the idea of impersonating Harry Stroller, the legendary German spy whose true identity is so secret that almost no Germans apart from the Kaiser know what he looks like. He carries off this imposture with style, and is feted as a hero by the enemy top brass at the local chateau where they have their HQ. There, with the nets closing in around him, he meets Annie, a local prostitute who seems to see through his disguise, and discovers love and happiness in the most unlikely of circumstances. My French Whore is a skilful, bitter-sweet tale of heroism, love and espionage which will speak to anyone with the sense that they are not always quite what they seem.


Genre: Literary Fiction