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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A great look at the role of women during the war and how their roles were viewed then vs now.
I don’t have a single bad thing to say about The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. This was a fascinating book about a topic I know very little about – female secret agents during World War I and II. I have read a decent amount of historical fiction lately but nothing about this topic and it was a very refreshing, if not heartbreaking, read for me.
There are two storylines in The Alice Network, Eve in 1915 and Charlie in 1947. Eve’s story is about her double life as a secret agent in World War I, and Charlie’s story is her search to find her cousin Rose who disappeared during World War II. I really loved the dual storylines and I liked both Eve and Charlie a lot. I especially enjoyed how both stories came together thanks to Eve. I think Quinn did a great job of integrating the two and jumping between past and present kept things interesting for me.
I was also a huge fan of the author’s note at the end of the book. It turns out that a lot of what is in The Alice Network is true, and there was some other special content in the paperback that was both interesting and informative. If you are an audiobook lover, I also highly recommend that as well. The narrator Saskia Maarleveld was fantastic at both Charlie and Eve, and I will definitely be looking for more novels she has narrated. If you do the physical or the audiobook I would count it as a win! There are funny parts, disturbing parts, and other things that will leave you in awe of the amazing women who were a part of the real Alice Network. I also found it to be a bit of a tear-jerker, and the only thing I have left to say is how sad I am that I didn’t read it sooner!
Well written the characters and events are so real. The story is inspirational and the events reflect the darkness and evil of the times.great read.
I like this book as historical fiction.
EXCELLENT WWII book, have recommended to everyone. Stands out among a flooded genre.
An interesting story about set in Nazi occupied Paris. It shows the lengths some went as part of the resistance.
So good. Couldn’t put it down!
Unforgettable . Finally real women heros. Quinn’s new novel The Huntress equally good.
Good historical fiction
An interesting behind the scenes story of war.
This story was based on a true woman and her life as a spy.
The Alice Network is an intriguing historical fiction based on infamous heroic women. The book follows two separate stories effortlessly transcending between decades. Unexpected brave heroines reveal themselves in unlikely ways. Each woman finds bravery within themselves and others. Great tale of unrecognized women that were an important part of war history.
I love learning history from historical fiction.
I enjoy books that tell “Her-stories”. So few women have been included in books, movies, on stage, etc, we must not let these stories go untold.
This is a book I will read more than once. The two story lines were riveting.
Love, love, love this book.
The Alice Network is in one word, phenomenal. At times it is also dark and gritty and emotionally draining. That is the nature of war. But above all it is about conquering the darkness both outside and inside of ourselves, about friendship and family, love and life—about what is worth fighting for. From the minute I picked this book up until the last of its nearly 500 pages, I was blown away.
Charlie and Eve are two quite different women; however, their differences become two sides of the same coin. Both are on similar quests to find answers to the lives they left behind. Except Charlie still believes that there is hope for the future while Eve does not. These two women’s stories flow in and out of one another, switching between 1917 and 1947 until they finally merge and continue to the story’s final climactic moment. Often in dual-timeline novels, one time period is more captivating than the other, but I didn’t feel that with The Alice Network. Both stories held my attention equally. Even the secondary characters drew me in.
As discussed in the author’s note, the amount of research put into accurate depiction of these women’s lives is astounding. I especially enjoyed how Kate Quinn brought together experiences from both world wars. Most novels that I have read fail to mention that WWI ended only twenty years before WWII began, which isn’t much time for personal or economic recovery. Kate Quinn does not shy away from this aspect, acknowledging in detail the ramifications of WWI on her characters’ decisions within and after WWII. She brings forth raw emotions and lays them bare for us to see, creating characters that are both strong and vulnerable and very much humans we can relate to. Simply put, this novel is a beautiful example of what all historical fiction should be. Kate Quinn’s writing is completely spectacular.
Content Advisory: Due to the thematic nature of this novel, the story did contain a higher level of mature content than I typically include in books reviewed on this site. Please be advised that there are scenes containing graphic elements related to war, scenes of sexuality (although not explicit enough for me to consider erotica) and some instances of strong profanity. That being said, I found these elements to be, for the most part, used appropriately within the context of the story, and often I felt the gritty nature actually added to its authenticity.
This review was first posted on kelseygietl.com
Quinn never lets up on the gas. She packs so much action, so much character, so much life into this book, you can’t put it down.
This is the best book I have read in a long time. It is fiction based on fact which makes it even more intriguing. Highly recommend.
It follows two women whose lives intersect. One is a young American in a bit of a predicament and the other is an older English woman with an incredible back story of women spies in World War I. It tkes place in England and France as the two women try to find someone lost in the war and share their stories. A great read!
A beautiful love story.
Liked learning about women spies in WWI. I didn’t really like the main character, however. The rich, pregnant teenager who’s somehow guilt ridden over the death of her brother and cousin was a bit contrived, I thought. Overall, a good story though.