In Spite of It All - Constance Bierkan

In Spite of It All spans the parallel stories of two women: New Yorker, Claire Fitzgerald, who has yet to realize her strengths, and Frenchwoman Madeleine de Beaulieu, whose impetuousness will lead her astray. It's 1945 and the war in Europe is winding down. Originally an "American Firster," Claire recants her stance against US involvement in the war and joins the Red Cross. Her change of heart will subsequently immerse her in a series of experiences beyond her wildest dreams. Madeleine, a winsome girl of twenty, feels the war has robbed her of her youth and deprived her of any chance at romance. Fleeing to Morocco to escape her war-weary malaise and hopefully find love lands her in a heap of trouble. As each woman embarks upon her quest for happiness, neither can anticipate the collision course she is on in this compelling story. And as events unfold under a shadow of secrecy during the Allies' discovery of Hitler's propaganda art hidden in the Kaiserode Mine, a twist of fate will cause these women's lives to be changed immeasurably.