[Belle 03] • Survivor

Russell, 1938

It is 1938 and Mariette is a defiant, strong willed and selfish 17 yr old. The small, gossipy town of Russell, New Zealand isn’t nearly big enough for Mariette’s ambitions and her devoted parents, Belle and Etienne, fear for her reputation. With the world on the brink of war, a trip to Europe is risky but the alternatives seem worse and Mari sets sail to visit her Uncle Noah in London. Armed with the freedom she's longed for since childhood, Mari quickly falls for Morgan, the handsome steward on board ship. But once she reaches London, there are other temptations. Mari loves her new life - caught up in a whirl of dances and parties in the glittering West End. Finally, she is the mistress of her own future. But storm clouds are gathering, the war can no longer be ignored and London is hit terribly by the Blitz. As London endures constant bombing, Mari's new life is cruelly blown apart. Forced from her loving new home, she ends up alone in the East End; worlds away from the London she knows. In the face of despair, Mari realises that the only way to survive the war is to fight, with all the strength, selflessness and compassion within her... only then she will find true happiness.