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The Blue Bicycle is the first and most famous novel in the series by French writer Régine Deforges. The story begins in 1939 on the Delmas family estate near Bordeaux, just before the outbreak of World War II. The main character Léa Delmas is an eighteen-year-old girl with a strong will, impulsiveness and aversion to social rules.

Léa is in love with Laurent d'Argilac, a young aristocrat who, however, is engaged to her friend Camille. Disappointed, Léa tries to suppress her feelings, but Laurent remains the central figure in her emotional life. Their relationship, marked by attraction, separations and reunions, runs throughout the novel.

After the German occupation of France, Léa's life changes fundamentally. The war affects her family and friends, and she gradually abandons her carefree youth. She participates in the activities of the French Resistance Movement, conveys messages, hides persecuted people and helps people threatened by the war. In these circumstances, she meets different people – soldiers, resistance members, collaborators and civilians trying to survive the occupation.

The titular blue bicycle is a symbol of Léa's freedom and independence. On it, she travels between villages, cities and secret meetings, often risking her own life. The circumstances of the war force her to rapidly mature and she transforms from a spoiled girl into a determined and courageous woman.

The novel combines a love story and a historical chronicle of wartime France. In addition to the love triangle between Léa, Laurent and Camille, the themes of occupation, resistance, friendship, betrayal and the fight for personal freedom play an important role. Due to the vivid heroine and the detailed depiction of the war period, The Blue Bicycle has become one of the most read French novels of the 20th century.