Featuring an exclusive excerpt from Kate Quinn’s next incredible historical novel, THE HUNTRESS
NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#1 GLOBE AND MAIL HISTORICAL FICTION BESTSELLER
One of NPR’s Best Books of the Year!
One of Bookbub’s Biggest Historical Fiction Books of the Year!
Reese Witherspoon Book Club Summer Reading Pick!
The Girly Book Club Book of the Year!
A Summer Book … Fiction Books of the Year!
Reese Witherspoon Book Club Summer Reading Pick!
The Girly Book Club Book of the Year!
A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBub
In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.
1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.
Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth…no matter where it leads.
“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter
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This story is historical fiction, but very accurate, about women during world war 2 who were incredibly brave and creative in evading the Nazi machine in occupied France. It’s unusual, thrilling and you can’t put it down! Highly recommended.
Based on a true STory of a young girl working in the Alice Network during the world wars. The female characters were Eve and Charlie. The chapters alternate between 1917 and 1947. Fabulous book!
Historically based characters challenged to their limits but surviving.
One of the best books I‘ve read. We selected this book for our book club and everyone loved it. I love books about strong women characters and this delivered.
A section of the war that I was unaware existed. The sacrifices made were great.
This book was suspensful, romantic, frightening and cheery. It had all the feels. By the time i finished reading it, i felt as if i could speak French. A real page turner. Go for it.
Fascinating book about the women spies of WWI and their heroic, but complicated lives, as well as the sacrifices they made both during and after the war. The fact that the Alice Network and some of the book’s characters were fact-based made it especially intriguing. Quinn does a superb job of fictionalizing the two time periods of 1917 and 1947, so they come alive. The three main characters, Eve, Finn, and Charlie, embark on a quest that will change all of their lives forever. The book has all of the drama and suspense of an espionage novel, with the added interest of two women’s journeys, woven perfectly together.
Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network is fantastic historical fiction. The author expertly weaves together story lines from 1915 and 1947. Whether readers think it convenient or brilliant, the author ties the quests and ghosts of two women together at the novel’s zenith.
The two main characters narrate the novel. I found Charlotte “Charlie” St. Clair to be a rather self-absorbed, whiney girl who thinks she is a grown-up. Over the course of the novel, Charlie comes to the conclusion that she has not been tested, and realizes what strength and fortitude it took for Eve and her fellow spies to carry on throughout the war. Her continued use of the phrase “solve for X” became annoying after the second use. Unfortunately, she repeatedly uses the phrase every time she has a real life problem/puzzle. It was hard to get behind this character and care about her troubles, and at times, I was tempted to skip ahead to the next chapter.
The most interesting part of The Alice Network is Eve Gardiner’s story. She is a survivor of the covert Alice Network of resistance spies. She is a crass, salty dog, and every inch a battered war hero. Her story had me on edge and my stomach in knots. The slow unfurling of her activities in WWI was absolutely delicious.
Eve’s hired help, Finn, rounds out the trio on the quest. He is minimally developed, and acts as Eve’s muscle and a love interest for Charlie. I loved Finn’s quintessential calm, cool demeanor. He is a bit of an outlaw, but a gentleman at heart.
When the trio travel the French countryside in search of Charlie’s beloved cousin, Rose, the pace of the story speeds up quite a bit. From Lille to Limoge and finally Grasse, the three become covert agents in search not only for Charlie’s cousin, but also Eve’s nemesis. The excitement of the hunt along with the rich historical information enthralled me.
Jean Zimmerman said it best when she reviewed this book for NPR, “In The Alice Network, the lives of two indomitable women intertwine in a plot crackling with suspense. We root for Charlie and Eve, and cheer when they triumph.”
Excellently narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
LOVED The Alice Network!
Wonderful story!! I love the characters, Eve being my favorite! Very powerful. Makes you think how this were in the early 1900s and in the 40s. I love it!
The characters are real and tremendously interesting. I couldn’t put the story down as I learned about the historical period and the people who were the heroes of the time.
Another wonderful WWII story! Interesting, amazing people, totally worthwhile.
I just couldn’t get into it. The characters didn’t reach me and I was pretty sure I knew how it was going to end.
This is a war story that needed to be written and read
So, first I am a finn so i thought that i could write these reccomations in Finnish. Jotenpa, mahtava kirja, jota muistelee vielä monen kuukaudenkin jälkeen. Quinn pitää otteessaan ja kertoo tarinaa soljuvasti kauniisti ja mikä ehkäpä tärkeintä; ahmittavasti.
The Alice Network kept me turning pages well into the night. Women spies have always intrigued me, and the characters really came to life in this drama based on real characters during World War I. Highly recommended!
You can imagine this happening today, and that’s a sad commentary on humans.
This story built slowly. I almost gave up on it twice. At 500+ pages, it’s a commitment! But I’m glad I hung in there because the last 150 pages were very good. I can’t highly recommend it, but I do recommend it.
A great historical fiction!
An excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were very well developed.