Occupied France had a nun problem.
In a provincial town in the south of France, the sisters of a small convent face the German occupation with prayer, ingenuity, an antique arsenal, and a French Bulldog of questionable loyalty to anyone but himself. A best-selling comic historical novel that finds light in one of history's darkest hours — charming where others would be merely shocking.
Audiobook narrated by British actress Amelie Edwards · original score composed by the author. “Music written by the author makes the audio version of this novel essential.” — AudioFile Magazine.
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“The inclination of most writers would be to do a 'nuns with guns' story, because it's always easier to be shocking than charming. For accessibility, it was important to keep the story as light as possible, while illuminating what was a very dark moment in history. Achieving that balance was the greatest challenge in writing A Habit of Resistance. Chaplin certainly set the standard with his film, The Great Dictator , and that influenced me greatly. I think humor instructs more than brow-beating.”
“The characters and situations are fictitious, but based on actual history. It has been largely forgotten that the clergy were, in fact, a critical part of the resistance movement in Europe. It is a travesty that people like Father Marie Benoît, Irena Sendler, and Father Alexander Glasberg are now largely forgotten. I felt that if I made the story as interesting and entertaining as possible, perhaps I could remind people of some of the things that they had fought for.”
Meet Robespierre.
The convent's French Bulldog: connoisseur of contraband, collector of things that are absolutely not his, and — depending on which sister you ask — either the town's smallest résistant or its most shameless opportunist. He answers to no occupation.
A pilot worth saving.
When the war falls out of the sky and into the sisters' care, charity becomes conspiracy. Hand-drawn Spitfire studies from the author — himself an instrument-rated pilot — carry the story's RAF thread.
Songs from the world of the novel
Written and recorded by the author — from a forthcoming album of music from the books.
“Who Loves You More Than I”
“Nul ne t’aime comme moi” (French version)
Sung by Chloé Lapointe, the character from A Habit of Resistance