Fleeing France: A WWII Novel of Sacrifice and Rescue in the French Ambulance Service BY Alan Hlad

Driving an ambulance in France after the fall of Dunkirk, an American nightclub singer races to evacuate a British pilot and a Jewish orphan across more than 4,000 miles toward precarious freedom in this emotional, action-packed story of sacrifice, hope, and devotion inspired by real wartime events.

France, 1939: Ruth Lacroix, a talented singer from Maine, has left her life behind to live with her aunt and uncle in Paris, dreaming of performing at the Casino de Paris. But with the outbreak of war and the heartbreaking news of her cousin’s death at the hands of German forces, Ruth's ambitions shift to supporting France in its time of need.

Though she’s only ever driven a tractor on her family farm, Ruth joins a friend in enlisting as a driver for the French ambulance corps. During a transfer of injured soldiers to Dunkirk for evacuation, they encounter Jimmie, a British Royal Air Force pilot from No. 73 Squadron RAF, who has just bailed out of his burning plane. As Dunkirk falls and the route to the northern coast is blocked, word spreads of Operation Aerial—a daring Allied plan to rescue remaining troops and civilians from ports in western France.

Over two perilous weeks, Ruth and Jimmie, alongside a young Jewish orphan, journey hundreds of miles, helping other refugees while racing to the sea before the German army closes in. With courage and resilience, Ruth faces the uncertainty of war, where a single stroke of luck or a split-second decision can mean the difference between life and death.