What would you call a coterie that comprises of a female impersonator, a safe breaker, a murderess, a flirt, an aristocrat and a senior agent of the Special Operations Security? A clique like this itself sounds out of the question. What can a group six completely different people do together?
The year is May 1944 a time when the Second World War dominated a common man’s life, a time filled with uncertainty , a time which gave birth to heroes who refuse to succumb to any kind of imperialism. One such hero is Felicity Clarinet – a British agent undercover in France and her mission is to attack a heavily guarded chateau containing a telephone exchange which is vital to the German communication.A task which the other members of the French resistance group had failed to accomplish.
To accomplish this mission Felicity Clarinet also known as Flick requires six women who must not only be fluent in French but also must be equipped with various skills which range from telephone engineering to safe breaking and that’s where the above mentioned coterie comes in. Now Flick has exactly one week to train this group in self defence, parachuting and with all other skills that a resistance group requires.
While Flick is busy fortifying her group against time, Colonel Frank Dieter who has various ingenious methods of putting people to the question is on her trail. This man whose methods of interrogation are not only marked with adroitness but also ruthlessness is determined to get hold of the elusive Flick. For Dieter catching Flick is not only one of his official duties but also a matter of honour and revenge.
Jackdaws by Ken Follett is an amazing story set in the backdrop of Second World War. The characters are portrayed as ordinary people with a sense of valour, love, loyalty, pride and vengeance. The fact that the author is not judgemental about the British and the Germans has made this book a lot more interesting.