Monique Marchand, a 13-year-old French girl with an interest in medicine, was swimming with friends on Normandy Beach the day before the D-Day and ended up in the swimming hut on the beach during the invasion because of a forgotten bathing suit. And even though the United States military is segregated, Henry is on Omaha Beach, risking his life, dodging bullets and racist comments to save the lives of the mostly white soldiers shot and injured as the D-Day landings happen. But he was also obsessed with getting to Amiens, France where his father had carved 'Jack Richards was here 1918' on a stone, and Bill was determined to add his name underneath.Ĭorporal Henry Allen, 20, is an African American medic in the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.

Bill was named after and is obsessed with William the Conquerer and determined to get to get to Bayeux, France to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry. His pal Sam, despite being promoted to Lance Corporal, still faces insults and microaggressions as a First Person from the other men, who are white.īill Richards, 19, from Liverpool, England is a Private in the Royal Dragoons, and a tank driver just like his dad was in WWI. Now, though, he is wondering what he is doing parachuting into France on D-Day.

James decided to join the army after his home town of Winnipeg staged a mock Nazi invasion. James McKay, 19 and Sam Tremblay, a Cree Indian, are in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and about to jump into the midst of the invasion. Samira delivers the message, and is determined to find and help her mother escape her captors. Six hours before the invasion begins, mother and daughter are on their way to deliver an important message about the invasion to the Resistance when Kenza is arrested and taken into custody by the Nazis. Samira Zidane, 11, and her mother Kenza are French Algerians working in the French Resistance.

But Dee wonders what Sid, a Jewish American, would think if he found out Dee's truth. Dee and Sid Jacobstein became friends right from the start in boot camp. Private Dee Carpenter is a 16-year-old who lied about his age to get into the Army, but since they needed soldiers, the Army looked the other way. Beginning just before dawn on June 6th, 1944 and ending close to midnight on the same day, Gratz weaves together six unrelated perspectives that bring the D-Day landings to life in all its chaotic, grim reality.

Alan gratz allies summary