Hello friends, today I have a book review I want to share … also, I’d love to know if you’ve read this book and what you thought of it … yay or nay :)
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn: Historical Fiction
Historical novel set in France about two women: a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and an American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 after World War II.
The story flips back and forth (by chapter) between “Eve” in 1915 and “Charlie” in 1947 and eventually their two stories overlap.
I enjoyed reading the chapters dealing with Eve Gardiner; cast as she was as a female spy in the Alice Network (a real life network of female spies led by Louise de Bettignies during World War I.) Kate Quinn wove together the fictional Eve Gardener and the real Louise de Bettignies quite realistically.
However, it didn’t take me long to become bored and frustrated with Charlie, the pregnant teen whose search for her cousin led her to Eve. I didn’t mind the flipping back and forth between stories, but I found Charlie and her boyfriend’s storyline unconvincing.
My thoughts: I did like the book and found it compelling enough to finish as there were a few things I wanted to see resolved. But truthfully, I wanted it to be done so I could move on to the next one …
3 stars out of 5
PS … do you have any recommendations for great WWI and WWII fiction?
Useful links:
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Hi Barb,
I just hate it when we have such expectations for books we purchase and they end up disappointing. It’s happened to me a few times, so recommendations are often the way to go.
You’ve probably read this, but The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a solid and compelling war story with female heroines.
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, is another excellent book but again, it’s not new. It’ll be interesting to see what other people post.
Enjoy whatever you choose!
Hi Kathy, thanks so much for stopping by, and for the book recommendations! I have read The Nightingale, but not the Fall of Giants so I’m very much looking forward to getting that one … thank you!
I read the Alice Network quite some time ago, and enjoyed it, as with so many books I find I am slugging it through the middle, and just want to get to the end! It seems I am in the WWII reading binge, I read mostly e-books, so once you have purchased a particular type of book, more are recommended, so far I am enjoying most of them! The Baker’s Secret by Stephen Kieran, The Liliac Girs by Mary Hall Kelly, The German Girl by by Armando Lucas Correa.
But for something different you might like The Pearl that Broke It’s Shell by Nadia Hasimi, it is the story of two generations of women and the custom of bacha posh, a custom that allows a young girl to be dressed like a boy until she is of marriageable age, in Afghanistan.
I love and am inspired by your photography, thanks for sharing
Thank you Janice! and thank you so much for the recommendations … I plan to check them all out. Have you read The Book Thief? it’s absolutely one of the best!
No i haven’t, but i will check it out, thanks