The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland
By Michelle Young
Harper One, 2025

In August 1944, with the battle to liberate Paris thundering around her beloved Jeu de Paume museum, Curator Rose Valland was facing imminent death. The co-opted museum was the Germans’ final line of defense and Valland was inside, deliberately putting herself in harm’s way to protect the museum, her staff, and humanity’s cultural inheritance. Based on previously undiscovered documents, The Art Spy chronicles the brave actions of an undersung hero whose courage and tenacity in a time of violence and uncertainty is an inspiration for all.

About the Author
Michelle Young is an award-winning journalist, author, and professor who attended Juilliard, Harvard, and Columbia, where she now teaches architecture. She and her husband divide their time between Paris and NYC, where they work together on the publication she founded, Untapped New York.

Purchase the book
Please help support local independent bookstores by purchasing this book at Browseabout Books, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Online sources and digital versions are tempting; however, supporting local brick and mortar shops helps to preserve our vibrant main streets. Drop by Browseabout, order books online, or call the store at 302-226-2665. You also may purchase a copy at biblion in Lewes.