Charlie St. Clair is pregnant and unwed at the age of
nineteen in 1947. Her parents are horrified and
infuriated, sending her with her mother to have an
abortion overseas. However, Charlie can't stop thinking
about her cousin, Rose, who has been missing in the
aftermath of World War II. Meanwhile, Eve Gardiner is
still soaked in the misery of the past, trying to drown
out her memories of World War I where she worked as a
spy, a fleur du mal, obtaining information against the
Nazis. What will happen when their paths collide?
Wow! I've read a book by Kate Quinn before and enjoyed it,
but THE ALICE NETWORK completely blew me away! Kate Quinn
delves into the world of women spies during World War I
as she shows us a piece of history not often seen in
textbooks. The helpful author's note at the end details
which characters and events are fictional versus
historical and it was eye opening to read and explore
such a fascinating piece of history.
THE ALICE NETWORK moves seamlessly back and forth between
the events of 1947 and 1915 as Kate Quinn weaves a
stunning tale of two wars. I love the strength of the
various women we see portrayed, from our two main
characters Charlie and Eve to other characters such as
Lili and Violette. THE ALICE NETWORK isn't always an easy
novel to read, as Kate Quinn doesn't shy away from
showing us the hardships and horrors women had to face as
they walked a thin line in their roles as spies. However,
each and every thing they face only strengthens my
appreciation for the women of that time and the courage
they had to stand up to the evil of Nazism.
THE ALICE NETWORK is historical fiction at its best! Kate
Quinn paints an unflinching but ever so poignant story of
the lives of two women intertwined with history and the
brutal regime of the Nazis. THE ALICE NETWORK isn't a
fast read but is the kind you that slowly absorb, while
your respect for the courage displayed by the female
spies grows. I look forward to reading more by Kate Quinn
in the future as she has proven to me for a second time
that her historical fiction is simply superb!
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.