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An extraordinary story

Tomorrow to be Brave is the story of Susan Travers’s extraordinary life, from her privileged childhood in England through her rebellious youth partying her way across interwar Europe, to her rash decision to join the Free French forces at the outbreak of World War II. In search of adventure — and a break from her stifling upper-class world — she could never have dreamed the pivotal role she would play. From her part in the North African campaign through her time after the war serving in the French Foreign Legion as a regular officer — the only woman ever to have achieved this — there was enough adventure and passion, heartbreak, and heroism, to fill a hundred lifetimes. This, in her own words, is her story. It is a tale of exceptional courage against overwhelming odds and of an epic love affair played out against the backdrop of war as she risked everything for the country — and the man — she loved.

From Publishers Weekly: Englishwoman Susan Travers, aka “La Miss,” now 91, was the only woman ever to serve officially with the French Foreign Legion. Travers’s story begins with her lonely girlhood, spent wishing she were a boy and yearning for her military father’s approval. In her late teens and 20s during Europe’s decadent ’20s Travers rebelled, hitting every baccarat table and aristocrat’s bed she could find. When war broke out in 1939, she was ready to live out her girlhood fantasies of exotic travel and heroic service. Joining de Gaulle’s Free French, she endured the mandatory nursing training and in North Africa found the work she wanted, as a front-line driver. Eventually, she became Gen. Pierre Koenig’s personal driver and secret lover. She emerged a decorated hero of the bloody Bir Hakeim campaign in Libya, often referred to as the Verdun of WWII. Her (married) general’s career also advanced too far for their affair to continue. In her despair, Travers joined up and became a true Legionnaire, escaping her unhappiness by immersing herself in the world of warfare. Still, “je ne regrette rien” is the message here, which may be why this pre–feminist figure sounds so inspiring to modern ears. (June)Forecast: With enough review attention and the right endorsements, this action-packed romance could find its way onto many women’s shelves. Its historical interest should attract students, and the saga of a woman fighting to live on her own terms could draw reading- group interest.

From Library Journal: At age 91, Travers decided that she could finally write the autobiography of her life and her part in the French Foreign Legion because all the principal people have passed away. Travers spent her childhood in England and eventually moved to France with her parents. In 1940, she left behind a privileged life to join the Free French. She fell in love with General Koenig of the Foreign Legion, and they ended up in Africa fighting Rommel. The only woman ever to serve in the French Foreign Legion, in 1942 Travers led a convoy of men and vehicles to freedom after being surrounded and outnumbered for 15 days. After the war, she served with the Foreign Legion in Tunisia. In 1997, she was given France’s highest award for bravery, the Legion d’Honneur. Engrossing from the first page, this is a fascinating story of a young woman’s bravery and heroism as well as a story of romance and heartbreak. For women’s studies, biography, and history collections.

From Booklist: An extraordinary true story of love, war, and adventure that reads like fiction.

Susan Mary Gillian Travers (23 September 1909 – 18 December 2003) was a British nurse and ambulance driver who served in the French Red Cross during the Second World War. She later became the only woman to be enlisted in the French Foreign Legion, having also served in French Indochina, during the First Indochina War.