Wilder,
Gene. My French Whore. St. Martin's. March 2007. c.192p. ISBN:
978-0-312-36057-3. $21.95. Fiction.
In 1918, near the end of the Great War,
Pvt. Paul Peachy, son of German immigrants, escapes a bad
marriage by joining the army. Sent to France, he passes his
30th birthday in a wasteland of muddy trenches. That same
day, he is asked to interrogate a captured German spy, Col.
Harry Stroller, famous for his exploits
in England. The next morning, Peachy sees his two best friends
die in battle. In an act of cowardice, he flees into the nearby
woods but is soon captured by German troops. To save himself
from execution, he brashly impersonates Colonel Stroller, using
what little information the spy revealed to him. Peachy’s
daring masquerade continues as he finds himself ensconced in
Col. Viktor Steinig’s headquarters. There, he meets
and falls in love with Annie Breton, the titular French whore,
while his situation grows ever more complicated. Written in
prose distilled to its essence, this enchanting novella, Wilder's
fiction debut, reads like a breeze. Outwardly sweet and simple,
it has delightful complications and an ending that may
surprise. Recommended for all public libraries. [The Academy
Award-nominated actor is also the author of a memoir, Kiss
Me Like A Stranger.]