14 h 37 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
When war closes in and loyalties stay hidden, how can a young woman know whom to trust?
Philippa stands at the center of a world sliding toward catastrophe. In The Girl Philippa, Robert W. Chambers follows a young woman through danger and uncertainty as espionage and romance draw together. Secret information matters, people are not always what they seem, and her courage and loyalty face the pressure of war.
Published in 1916, while fighting continues in Europe, the novel brings the urgency of its time to a brisk, colorful story. Chambers blends love, adventure and divided loyalties rather than offering a realistic account of the trenches. His focus is the human struggle: ordinary courage, strong feelings and the uncertainty that secrecy brings.
What you’ll discover
- A heroine under pressure Follow Philippa as danger and uncertainty put her courage and loyalty to the test.
- Love amid wartime secrets Discover a romance shaped by hidden loyalties and the urgent pressures of war.
- People behind the masks Enter a world of espionage where appearances offer no clear guide to trust.
- A world facing catastrophe Feel the unease of Europe as great powers struggle and ordinary people need courage.
- Brisk and colorful storytelling Enjoy moving action and clear emotions that keep the story pressing ahead.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy wartime adventure with spies, secret codes and village sieges will feel at home here, as will anyone who likes a tender friendship growing beside the danger and a love of the French countryside in August 1914.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two officers chase a stolen secret
- A stranger asks Warner for trust
- Philippa at the Cabaret de Biribi
- Bullets on the road to Saïs
- Soap posters and a Sister's vow
- Philippa runs away from the spy trade
- A false friend and a stolen girl
- The cellar, the rope and the river
- Courage, chosen friendship and a spoken voice
Who’s who
- James WarnerAn American painter of soldiers who teaches a summer class at Saïs, distrusts love, and cannot resist a chance to help someone in trouble.
- PhilippaA young cabaret cashier with painted cheeks and honest gray eyes, forced to spy for her guardian, who wants a clean life and a name.
- WildresseThe cabaret owner who informs for the French government while trying to sell its secrets to others, and who keeps Philippa under his thumb.
- Sister EilaA young Irish Sister of Charity who teaches quarrymen's children at Saïs and gives her word to a stranger in trouble.
- Reginald GrayHalkett's fellow officer, who carries the other half of the stolen papers and disappears on a night road in the Vosges.
- Madame de MoidreyAn American widow at the Château des Oiseaux who offers Philippa a home and watches Warner's feelings with amused care.
- AsticotA Paris street tough and former soldier of the African battalions who attaches himself to Warner after a beating.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 6 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Philippa, la jeune fille
by Robert W. Chambers · 1916
A cabaret cashier with painted cheeks and a painter holding a stranger's envelope meet in Ausone as war nears.
Medium level10–20 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
A thin envelope, a painter who trusts a stranger, and a girl with painted cheeks and honest gray eyes. Stolen plans for a new shell send two British officers across the Atlantic, with German agents on their heels.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two officers chase a stolen secret
The book opens with a murder at Sarajevo and a deal between two governments. The United States will share the secret of the Harkness shell with Britain. Before the exchange can happen, the plans are stolen.
The British Embassy acts within hours. Two young officers, Halkett and Gray, board the liner Zeeduyne as New Zealand tennis champions. They watch two Germans who send odd wireless messages about soap and perfume, and at Antwerp the trap closes in a hotel room.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 6 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1916
- Language
- français
- Reading time
- 9 h 30 min
- Level
- Medium level
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Philippa, la jeune fille
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Girl Philippa about?
It follows a British officer carrying stolen military plans, an American painter who agrees to hide them, and a cabaret cashier forced to spy. Set in the French border country in 1914, it mixes espionage, friendship and love as war breaks out.
Who is Philippa in the book?
Philippa is a young cashier at the Cabaret de Biribi in Ausone. Her guardian Wildresse makes her spy on customers. She does not know who her parents were, and she leaves him to find honest work and the friendship of Warner.
What is the Harkness shell?
It is a secret artillery shell, called the candle shell, whose plans the United States agrees to share with Britain. When the plans are stolen, two British officers chase the thieves and carry the recovered papers across Europe.
The author
Robert W. Chambers
1865–1933 · American novelist and illustrator
Robert W. Chambers was an American writer whose 1895 collection The King in Yellow became a cornerstone of weird fiction, casting its influence over H.P. Lovecraft and generations of horror writers since. He was a successful popular novelist in his day, but this early work is what endures.
More by Robert W. Chambers
All 11 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
