Another page turner from Kristin Harmel is sure to delight readers. Told in dual timelines (1940's, 2018), we follow Colette Marceau as a young woman whose mother trained her to be a jewel thief, helping to fund the Resistance against the Nazis, through her late 80's where she continued those endeavors in the U.S., funding non-profits with the proceeds.

While this book has a different feel than her other stories, and doesn't rely so much on historical fact for the main plot (the most relevant historical research seems to be the legend of Robin Hood), it is still a compelling love and survival story. The ending is just a bit too pat, and loyal followers of Harmel will recognize her signature calling cards throughout the story. An enjoyable and uplifting read.

“Diamonds have witnessed the past, and they will witness a future we can’t begin to imagine.”

At this point I’ve read five of her books and loved them all. Harmel just has a way of storytelling that is so compelling and touches on all your emotions. She has a knack for finding and creating unique WWII stories around regular people doing heroic things to help others.

In the Stolen Life of Colette Marceau Harmel explores how people stole from the Nazis in order to help the Resistance. In this particular story, Colette Marceau is a jewel thief, taught by her mother. In fact, it’s been a ‘family business’ of sorts as they descend from Robin Hood. They live by the code: steal from the bad, give to the poor.

“‘No one who has earned his money or his worldly possessions honestly should be parted from them, even if he’s far richer than anyone should be. But he who has evil in his heart, or has used his fortune to bring harm to others, no longer has a claim on his property. Those are the people Robin stole from then, and they’re the people we steal from now.’”



Side note: if this concept intrigues you, definitely check out Connie Mann’s book The Crown Conspiracy which is an awesome book but instead of a Robin Hood jewel thief, the main character steals previously stolen artwork and replaces them with forgeries, returning the originals to their rightful owners.


I enjoyed the concept of this book. I enjoyed the characters. I liked that we get another taste of WWII from a different angle but it was also nice not to get into the nitty gritty of the war. There were definitely segments that were hard to read— like Colette’s mother’s arrest and torture. At times we need to confront the past in all its realities, but sometimes I prefer a ‘lighter’ book that doesn’t throw you in too deep.

I think I’ve read so many books that the ‘twists’ this book ends up having weren’t really surprising to me, but I wasn’t mad about it.

I also liked the themes Harmel explores: How is right and wrong determined? Is our identity more than what we do or more than our ‘destiny’? Can a lifetime of good wash away a long-ago sin? How and to what extent do we let our history shape our future?

I also love the thread of ‘diamonds are forever’ and what that means historically— that they get passed down from generation to generation and what they’ve ‘seen’ or been through could fill tomes.

It is aptly named— The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau— and has a complex meaning— the actual theft of jewelry but also the ‘theft’ of life, physically and emotionally, the ‘theft’ of an identity, the ‘theft’ of what could have been.



As with a lot of historical fiction novels, we have a dual timeline.

The historic timeline takes place during WWII where a young Colette is experiencing the hardships of the war. When their Jewish friends are rounded up and their jewels stolen, Colette’s mother steals them back from the Nazi who took them. This puts their whole family in danger. Colette experiences a lot of loss, including the kidnapping and death of her younger sister.

The modern day timeline (2018) follows 89-year-old Colette who now lives in the states and continues to steal from Neo-Nazis to help fund the Boston Center for Holocaust Education and other charities. All these years she has still wondered what happened to her sister and who betrayed her mother, leading to her arrest.

What ultimately ties these two timelines together is a very special set of bracelets. Handcrafted with hundreds of diamonds, these interlocking bracelets were designed for Colette’s mother’s friend Helene Rosman by her husband in honor of her newly born twins. Separate they look like lilies; together it’s a beautiful butterfly.

“‘It’s perfect… Helene and I will give our children wings and they will soar.’”

These bracelets are what Colette’s mom steals back and sews into the hem of Colette and her sister’s gowns for safe-keeping and bargaining power if they ever get into a bind.

Colette kept her bracelet her whole life, searching for the other half and the answers regarding her sister. The bracelet shows up in a new museum exhibit in Boston and Colette is determined to find out who it belongs to and what they know about the past, not matter the cost.



Many historical fiction novels that tell WWII stories in dual timeline have an elderly person in the modern timeline but I loved that in this book even though Colette is 89 years old, she’s still very much an active character, not just a reminiscent one and I appreciated that about this book. Also, it’s a little funny to picture her still stealing from people— she’s correct that no one would suspect her!



One of the more interesting aspects of this book is the moral dilemma of what Colette’s family does. Is it ever okay to steal?

I think during war-time, when people are being wrongfully rounded up and killed, to steal from the perpetrators in order to finance papers to help people escape that fate, it’s hard to not see that as heroic.

But this line of thinking can be a slippery slope. Harmel intentionally wrote about this morally gray-ish area and mentions it in the author’s note. She comments how “it was fascinating to explore how someone like Colette rationalizes her thefts— and to ask myself whether that reasoning is valid.”

It’s easy to look back on WWII and be thankful for those who lied or stole in order to save lives, but I’m not entirely sure how much biblical support that position has. I also think that humans are really good at justifying things and bad at making fair, unbiased judgements. I’m glad for what people did during the war to save people, but I don’t know if my feelings about it are necessarily biblical.

Even if the US is not currently at war, I’ve already seen examples of people justifying violence or destruction or theft just because people had different beliefs than them. There are certain groups of people pushing to classify certain words or phrases as acts of violence. If we start labeling words as acts of violence then that becomes the catalyst to justify morally wrong actions.

I don’t trust humanity to make really good judgments on what is right and wrong and what is justified and what is not. Sure, we may all agree on WWII acts of rebellion but all of humanity can’t agree on everything all the time. At some point we’re going to be on different sides of what we believe is justified. Then how do we determine?

Our selfishness and sin nature are too strong to ever support this notion that it’s okay to steal from the bad and give to the good. The working definitions of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ are too fluid.

I do like that Harmel points out that Colette bettered the world in more ways than just stealing diamonds— “through her volunteer work— and through the way she chose to show up for Aviva in her darkest hour.”

We are often short-sighted, thinking the only way to solve a problem or bringing good to the world is using morally gray means to achieve a desired outcome, but if we use our critical thinking and creativity, we see that there are so many ways to make the world better than our own personally identified methods of ‘redistributing wealth.’

Sure, Colette ‘redistributed’ over 30 million dollars worth of goods, but it was no small thing for her to step into Aviva’s life and be a mother figure, to extend generosity and love with her time and her words. It’s often the small things that make more of an impact than some sort of flashy gesture or widespread action.

“Change happens one act of courage at a time, one act of kindness at at time, one act of faith at a time. And those are things that all of us are capable of.”



Another thing Harmel mentions in her author’s note that resonated with me was the idea of Colette’s identity being in her thieving.

“Colette has essentially spent her whole life clinging to the sense of identity that comes with being a thief… she’s a woman worthy of love, whose identity isn’t determined by her vocation…”

Even though Harmel does not look at this from a biblical perspective, I love how she has Colette’s character develop to the point of recognizing that her identity has been wrapped up in stealing. It’s their family’s legacy; it’s a way she feels close to her mom. But it’s also been a big burden for her to carry. A burden that she is afraid to relieve herself of because if she isn’t stealing like Robin Hood, then who is she, what good is she?

We do the same thing. We believe so much of who we are is tied up in our jobs or our kids, our hobbies, or even our sexuality. But if those things are taken away (and they can), we are left feeling empty and purposeless. Our identity has to be outside of those things.

The Bible has the answer to satisfy that longing. Our identity should be in Christ who is an unchanging constant in our life. If we are children of God that can’t be taken away from us. It is security instead of a burden.



Recommendation

As with every other Kristin Harmel book I’ve read, I would definitely recommend this one!

Lots of layers of themes and emotions yet easy to read and enjoy with likeable characters and a great ending!



[Content Advisory: 0 f- or s-words; no sexual content]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is an exciting novel about a mother/daughter team who steal jewels from nazis and their sympathizers during WWII to fund the French resistance.
The daughter Colette, stole a beautiful 2 section bracelet from a nazi who stole it from her mother's Jewish friend. Because of this theft the mother is killed and her youngest daughter is kidnapped and never seen again. the body of a young child wearing the same nightgown is found in a river nearby. Colette and her father are released and become estranged.
In 2018 when Colette is 89 she learns the where about of the bracelet her sister had sown Into her nightgown the night she died. If Colette finds out who owns the bracelet she will know ho killed her sister. This is very exciting read. I highly recommend it

I am a major fan of Harmel’s books and she is an auto-buy for me. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced e-ARC. Already pre-ordered.

This historical fiction follows Colette Marceau who has been stealing jewelry since she was a child. It’s a family business, but they had their reasons. They were stealing to help the poor and fund the French resistance. In 1942 Colette’s mother was arrested and her sister who was four-years old disappeared. When she vanished her nightgown had a diamond bracelet sewn in the hem. Her mother was killed and her sisters body was found, BUT no bracelet.

Now Colette is 70 years old and that bracelet is found in a museum in Boston! Someone knows about her past and perhaps more about her sisters death.

This novel will have you reading late into the night, Kristin Harmel always gives a unique novel which immerses the reader back in time and tugs at your heart.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is a historical fiction novel with dual timelines of 1940s (WWII era) France and 2018 Boston, Massachusetts. Fans of WWII fiction, family drama, jewel thieves, older characters, and lower-angst storytelling will enjoy this book.

Quick Plot Summary: Colette Marceau, a descendant of Robin Hood, hails from a family of jewel thieves who steal from evil people, sell the spoils, and give the proceeds to the less fortunate. Growing up in France during WWII, Colette's family and friends became involved with the German police and suffered several tragedies that tore them apart. Seven decades later, Colette is still trying to piece together the parts of her life that were broken by war. With the help of a few new friends, she discovers that what was stolen may not be lost forever.

My Impressions: This is the the third book I've read by Kristin Harmel, and it is yet another example of how she consistently researches her storylines and is thus a solid historical fiction author. The morally gray "Robin Hood" style jewel thievery made me think about the implications of those unlawful but not-entirely-bad choices. I appreciated the fact that all the main characters were older (50+), as most of the books I read don't represent mature characters that often. I was impressed to find out the the author was battling breast cancer during the writing of this story, and managed to finish it victoriously. If you enjoyed Patti Callahan Henry's The Story She Left Behind, this book will provide a similar type of reading experience.

The romantic content in this book were very light compared to the ones found in The Book of Lost Names, with the focus being more on family here.

I personally found this story and its characters difficult to connect with, the pace slow moving, and the narrative too repetitive. I gave 5 stars to The Book of Lost Names, but found this story less compelling, with many parts having too much telling and not enough showing. The ending 20% picked up pace, but I found the events that occurred too convenient and not believable. It was just an okay read for me.

Content Considerations: Light scant language (maybe 3 words in the whole book, and no f-- words), no romantic interactions beyond a light kiss.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Ms. Harmel wraps multiple plots together in The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. Collette come from a family of jewel thieves, with the proviso that the proceeds go to fund deserving groups. The novel is set in Paris as the Germans are taking over during World War II. The story is a delicious mix of righteous jewel thieves, the injustices of the war, and a young girl growing up in the middle, along with her sister. The book alternates between narrating life in France and fast forwarding to the present day. Colette tries to reconcile past disappearances of those that were so close to her along with correcting past injustices. The surprising ending is ... just that and yet it is not surprising for an author like Ms. Harmel. In the Acknowledgments, she discusses the incredible support from her publishing team while she was battling breast cancer. Kudos to all of you!

I love Kristin Harmel's writing and this novel was no exception. Set in both 2018 and early 1940's Paris, we follow Colette Marceau as both a young teen during WWII and then again as a nearly 90 year old. The title is a play on words, as Colette is a jewel thief like in a long line of Robin Hood-like thieves, but her life is stolen when she is essentially orphaned and left without her sister at a pivotal time in her life. We learn how a bracelet seems to unify these lives and rectify a tragic past. I'm taking away a star for what I deem to be a lack of authenticity with the abilities of the aged characters in the story; I found it hard to believe that Colette and her peers had the strength and dexterity to move about so well, thieving and flying to Paris, etc. And unless I missed it, the true story of Lilianne in the Seine was never resolved.

Colette is a thief, taught by her mother. They steal from bad people for good reason though: to fund the French resistance. The WWII chapters… harrowing, and moving, and tragic. Colette’s young sister disappears, and is found dead, with the bracelet hidden on her gone.

Ninety years later, the bracelet turns up in a museum, and the then 90-year-old Colette is drawn back to reconcile with the past in this splendid novel about courage, survival, and how to accept the past.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was beautifully written in a dual timeline format. It is historical fiction and gripped me from the beginning with the unique premise of Colette's familial legacy of stealing jewels. This book was the most interesting puzzle that culminated into an ending that surprised me over and over.

4.25 🌟

Such a beautiful Robin Hood book.

I love Kristin Harmel's writing - her ability to write beautiful stories is like no other. I loved the premise of female jewelry theives that steal from the rich and give to the poor. The way the characters come together in this book is heartbreaking and redemptive.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Kristin Harmels writing flows easily even as she writes about the difficult and traumatic subject matter of WWII. The life of Collette Marceau is told in a duel timeline. The chapters are just long enough to give you the opportunity to explore the history behind the story as it relates to the modern day life of Collette. She and her family members are direct descendants of Robin Hood and the secret her mother has told her is that the family must continue Robin Hood’s legacy of stealing from the rich, or in the case evil, to provide for and protect the less fortunate. Collette is taught to steal jewelry by her mother. At an early age during WWII Collette begins to steal from the wealthiest people who are either Nazis or people that are supporting them. Someone has identified her mother as a jewel thief and their home is raided by the Germans. Collette’s mother is taken and beaten to death but does not tell them where the jewels are located. During the raid Collette was told to watch her sister but while trying to save her mother a policeman takes her four year old sister Liliane. Days later Collette is told that her sister’s body was seen floating in the river. Collette continues stealing jewelry throughout the rest of her life as she creates and funds a Holocaust survivors organization with the money from the jewels all the while trying desperately to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister. There is so much more going on in this story that it’s impossible to touch on it all. I’ll be recommending this one to family and friends. This ARC was provided by Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin Harmel does it again!

Although I don't believe this was up there with Winemaker's Wife or Book of Lost Names- it was still wonderful! Kristin Harmel should be named the queen of WW2 historical fiction

The premise of this was unusual and thought provoking for a WW2 book

This is my first Kristin Harmel read but I have many of her books in my want to read list. It didn’t disappoint!
She is very skilled in evoking mystery and building a story. The characters of this book are full of resilience and courage. I wanted to stop everything and stay in the book until the end. Colette was determined and daring but stuck emotionally because of a tragic night from her past. The mix of modern and past timelines are effortless and really compliment each other. Harmel chooses just the right time to take us back to WW2 or stay in the modern timeframe.
I would loved to have seen some drawings of the bracelets that were lost, maybe at the top of each chapter? I couldn’t picture them even with the detailed description and they felt like a character that deserved to be front and center of the story.
I can’t wait to read more.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

This story about a family who descends from Robin Hood and steals jewels from those who are making choices that severely harms others and uses the money to aid those under privileged people is one of loss and finding the truth. It takes place around a set of special matching bracelets made for twins during ww2, And then goes back in time to them and then current times was very good!
It felt unique, even though it was set in wwII which has been written about a lot.

I have enjoyed multiple books by this author. This book was engaging but did not have the depth and feeling that I had with her other books.
Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Told in dual timelines, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau follows the story of Colette from her early years in Nazi occupied Paris and her later years in a suburb of Boston. Coming from a long line of jewel thieves, Colette followed in the family tradition of stealing from Nazi's to help fund the French Resistance. But one fateful night, her sister Lilianne was taken from them and found later in the Sienne, but the stolen bracelet that had been sewn into the lining of her nightgown was missing.

Years later, Colette is on the hunt for that missing bracelet that matches the one she has. Now with the chance of finding and bringing her sister's murderer to justice, Colette enlists the help of Daniel Rosman, her friend Aviva and Aviva's friend Lucas. But the answers they find are far more intriguing than what they expected.

This is an amazing story. A story of history and fiction, full of suspense and heartache. the author does a fantastic job of weaving two families apart and back together again. It had amending I did not expect. I loved this story and could not put the book down even as I hated reading about WWII Germany. Important we don't forget.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is an enthralling book about two jewel thieves, a mother and daughter and a priceless bracelet that disappears in Paris in the 1940’s. It is an historical drama that takes place in the 1940’s during and World War ll in Paris and in 2018 in Boston. Collette lives her whole life in search for the missing bracelet and guilt for the death of her sister. When the bracelet appears in an exhibit the story really takes off. It is an amazing story and difficult to put down once you start it. Kristin Harmel succeeds again in writing a bestseller!!

I am a fan of Kristin Harmel & historical fiction. I certainly respect the way she researches her books well & really enjoyed reading about it in her Author’s Note. However, there were a few things in this story that seemed unbelievable. First of all, there were several characters in their late 80s or older who seemed way too active for their ages. I can’t imagine someone still stealing jewels at Colette’s age in the 2018 chapters. This just really hung me up! Also, there were a large number of coincidences in the plot that made it seem almost corny in the end. I really wanted to like it more, but it didn’t seem believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book, which will publish next month.

As a casual fiction reader who loves a blend of history, mystery, and emotion, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was a thoroughly gripping and heartfelt read. Kristin Harmel delivers a sweeping story that spans decades, centering on a former jewel thief whose past comes crashing back when a long-lost diamond bracelet resurfaces in a museum. The book moves fluidly between wartime Paris and the present day, with just the right mix of suspense, drama, and emotional depth.

What I loved most was how layered and complex Colette’s character is. Her past—marked by resistance, betrayal, and heartbreak—felt vividly real, and I found myself rooting for her not just to solve the mystery, but to find healing. The historical backdrop adds richness without overwhelming the story, and the emotional stakes are high throughout. If you're looking for a novel that combines intrigue with a powerful story of love, loss, and redemption, this is an excellent choice.