From her childhood home in Tunisia, 19-year-old Nicole moved to Algeria to
attend the university. On the night of her arrival, watching from her
apartment balcony, she witnessed the surprise Allied air and sea attack on the
city of Algiers in November 1942.
Compelled to join the war effort, Nicole enlisted in the French Army, which
shipped the young lieutenant to Italy, where battles raged and tragedy
struck.
Nicole then took part in the Allied landing on the French Riviera.
Working as a translator and interpreter between French and American personnel,
she helped the Allied armies liberate Europe from Axis occupation. As the war
ended, Nicole married an American officer, then sailed to the United States as a
"war bride" in 1946.
Mektoub is Nicole's story of her coming-of-age amid the uncertainties of war
in North Africa and Europe. This memoir chronicles her experiences during World
War II and her relationships with people she loved and lost.
