The Lost Girls of Paris: A Novel

Eleanor Trigg is one of the three protagonists in The Lost Girls of Paris. Eleanor’s timeline begins in 1943, when she and the Director launch the female unit of the SOE, and extends until her death in 1946. Eleanor, having created the idea to utilize female agents, oversees all operations for the unit, from recruiting and training to deployment and strategy.

Although Eleanor lives in London and works for the British government, she was born in Pinsk, Belarus. When Eleanor was young, Russians invaded the area, and a Russian officer raped Eleanor’s sister. When young Eleanor attacked and killed the officer, her family was forced to leave. They emigrated to England, and Eleanor’s sister died shortly after their arrival. Eleanor’s grief over her failed attempt to protect her sister is a powerful motivator for her, and she sees her efforts in the SOE as “her life’s work” (72).

Eleanor is characterized by her thoughtful, careful approach and brusque manner. However, her brusque manner reflects the fact that she takes her responsibilities seriously. As Marie observes, Eleanor “had been hard on the girls because they could not afford an accident that might cost themselves or others their lives” (99). Eleanor’s loyalty to and protectiveness for her female SOE agents leads her to investigate their fates even after she is fired from SOE. Ultimately, Eleanor is dedicated to the truth, and her character arc follows her loss of naivete as she discovers the treachery of the Director. Eleanor dies while she is trying to bring the Director to justice and publicize the truth of his actions.

Grace Healey is one of the three protagonists in The Lost Girls of Paris. Her timeline begins in 1946 after the close of World War II. Grace Healey stands as a proxy for the author as she begins with a few clues and historical artifacts (Eleanor’s suitcase and the photographs of the 12 SOE agents) and conducts research to assemble the story behind them; her arc thus facilitates the theme of The Importance of Ensuring Historical Accuracy. Grace’s interest in stories and her passion for a good mystery lead her to investigate even when everyone around her cannot understand her interest. Grace lives alone in New York City and is grieving the death of her husband. Grace’s grief helps her to realize that she has been longing for independence, and over the course of the novel, she finds herself searching for a new life path even as she searches for answers about Eleanor and the missing SOE agents.  

Grace’s romance with Mark forces her to wrestle with her warring emotions and let go of her guilt over engaging in a new romance so soon after the death of her husband. By associating with Mark, Grace embraces a new sense of independence and develops the confidence and freedom to follow her instincts. Her eventual decision to open up to Mark indicates her character growth. At the end of the novel, Grace’s independence is highlighted when she turns down Mark’s invitation to move to Europe because she wants to keep building a new life for herself.

Josie is an SOE agent who is deployed in France alongside Marie. She is not even 18 when Marie meets her at SOE training in 1944. Josie’s youth, energy, and pioneering spirit render her a foil for Marie, for she is innately talented in the skills of survival and subterfuge and takes Marie under her wing during their training together. This contrast leads Marie to admire Josie greatly; Marie derives motivation and inspiration from Josie’s friendship and channels Josie’s bravery in her own moments of adversity.