The Three Partisans -- Jean-Yves Pitoun, Paperback

Based on the true stories the author grew up hearing about his father's time fighting with the Resistance during WWII, this sweeping historical drama combines adventure, romance, and espionage to tell the story of extraordinary perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.

This is the gripping saga of three World War II freedom fighters: Robert, an Algerian Jew, who runs away from home to join the army in Algiers; Mike, a cocky American pilot who enlisted in the Royal Air Force at the outset of the war; and Janine, a passionate and determined Frenchwoman leading missions to smuggle Allied airmen over the Pyrenees, out of France, and to safety. When fate forces the trio together, an easy friendship forms, one that soon blossoms into a fragile love triangle. With dangers mounting and SS operatives closing in, one of them is captured and must be rescued at all costs.
​​The story brings to life the significant cruelty of the occupation, and how the war brought out the ugliest aspects of human nature in some, but the gifts of courage, self-sacrifice, and grit in others. Filled with action-packed battle scenes, daring escapes, and a colorful cast of characters, this saga evokes the bravery and compassion that fueled the Resistance and helped win the war.

Author: Jean-Yves Pitoun
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Published: 09/02/2025
Pages: 480
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781454958062

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/01/2025 pg. 64

About the Author
Jean-Yves Pitoun is a screenwriter and director in France and the US. He's known for American Cuisine, Word of Honor, Haute Pierre, and Interventions. The Three Partisans is his debut novel. Pitoun lives in both Los Angeles and Southwest France.