Wird geladen
The Alice Network: A Novel
Zusammenfassung
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.
Auf der mobilen App von Scribd lesen
Die kostenlose mobile App von Scribd herunterladen, um überall und überall zu lesen.
Rezensionen
Sharp and tense, occasionally horrifying, occasionally heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, and oh, do I have lots of thoughts and feelings about this book!In 1947, Charlie St. Clair, a college student from New York, takes advantage of a trip across the Atlantic to look for her cousin Rose, who disappeared in France during the war. The first person she turns to, Eve Gardiner, turns out to be cranky foul-mouthed and drunk -- but Eve unexpectedly agrees to help. The book alternates between Charlie in 1947 and Eve’s experiences in 1915, working as spy in France. I love how the two storylines fit together, occasionally echoing each other with themes and variations. Those echoes explain why Eve agrees to help Charlie and why Charlie, as she learns more about Eve and her scars, comes to care about Eve. I love how this is about fierce, difficult, unconventional, broken, women and how so much of the story is driven by their relationships. I also liked Charlie’s habit of thinking in terms of mathematical equations, and Eve’s Scottish driver. (The narrator does an excellent job with all the accents -- to my surprise, as I didn’t find her narration of another book all that memorable.)There are a couple of scenes I found very hard to listen to -- although I am glad there weren’t any more of them. And switching back and forth between Charlie and Eve made some of the intense parts more bearable.I have to say, I wish there wasn’t quite so much detail of Eve’s relationship with a man who seduces her. His significance to Eve’s story would still have been apparent, as would his true character (he thinks his employee is 17 year old, ignorant, friendless, desperate for work) and the terror of Eve’s situation (she has the skills and resources of a spy, she isn’t who he thinks she is, but she’s still so very vulnerable). I wanted less of him and more time given to Eve friends in the Alice Network, who are -- arguably -- just as important.Yet in spite of that, even though fell short (of my idea) of perfection, even though it made me uncomfortable at times, I appreciated that it balanced out darkness with hope, and I found myself captivated by this story. Even after I had finished it. It’s stuck with me. I’d been so focused on getting here, I hadn’t thought how exactly I should begin. Two girls times eleven summers, divided by one ocean and one war...
Moving back and forth in time between WWI and just after WWII, the Alice Network tells of Eve's experiences as a spy in German-occupied France and Charlie's enlistment of Eve's help to find her cousin Rose who went missing during the second war. Eve was damaged physically, mentally and emotionally by performing her loyal service to her country and is consumed by desire for revenge against the man who did most of the damage. Charlie is also trying to figure out who she is as a woman during a time that's willing to allow women a little more agency than when Eve was young, but not much.The novel is also moderately historically accurate in it's portrayal of the exploits of two real-life female spies, Louise de Bettignies a.k.a Alice DuBois and Marie-Léonie Vanhoutte, a.k.a. Charlotte Lameron. I very much enjoyed reading about these remarkable women and learning more about the time period. My book club found it very engaging as well.
Interesting WWI and WWII story about female spies. I enjoyed the story and history but found the story lines of the main characters very predictable.
Great book! The author really manages to create an engaging story weaving together history and fiction. The characters in this women's spy network from WW1 were interesting, spunky and engaging. While there certainly was sadness during the book there was also an incredible story of some strong willed, determined women. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
Story or female espionage agents during the Great War. Two women must face their fears, one to find her voice and the other her redemption. I liked the story, a different take on what happened during the great war.
"The Alice Network" has all the things I love in a book - historical reference, strong, well-developed flawed characters, and a plot that twisted and kept me guessing. Some parts were a bit drawn out, but I still loved it. Eve and Charlie are both scarred from their past and looking for truths. The author goes back and forth in time from 1915 to 1947 to tell their tales. Gripping and surprising.
This novel was an excellent work of historical fiction. The story begins in 1947 as a young American woman, Charlotte, pursues a search for her cousin who went missing in World War II France. She's led to an older British woman, Eve, based on a lead she found.Charlie's lead involves a French traitor who Eve knew when she worked as a spy in France during World War I. Seeking revenge on him, she joins Charlie's search in France.The story alternates between 1947 and 1917 as we learn of Eve's past and follow the search. The organization Eve was involved in - The Alice Network - is a true network led by the people named in the story. Eve and Charlie are fictional characters and their 1947 story is fiction. But many of the accounts of the Alice Network and details unearthed about World War II are based in fact.I highly recommend this book.
I couldn't put this down. If I wasn't making time to read it at home, the book made it's way into my purse in case I could read at work during breaks and lunch.The story goes back and forth between 1947 and 1915 with Evelyn Gardiner heavily featured in both time lines. Eve Gardiner, Charlotte "Charlie" St. Clair and Finn Kilgore are well written, complex characters.The Alice Network was real. This story incorporates the heroic character of Louise de Bettignies aka "Alice BuBois" and Lili, into a fascinating character - a spy for the English military. She was dubbed Queen of Spies and in real life, saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives, passing on pertinent intel.She had a network of females working with her, all joined in resisting the Germans and spying for the Allies. There were parts of this story dealing with espionage and trauma that were such page turners. I sat up late a few times to read and it blows me away that these women endured so much.Early in the story, as you are getting to know Eve (a drunken bitter woman.....at first) you also meet Finn Kilgore. This quiet Scotsman is Eve's driver and master of what he calls the one-pan breakfast. There wasn't a lot of food mentioned but this breakfast comes up a few times. (Photo at Novel Meals)The main characters change, they have transformations as they start working together and it's wonderful to be along for the ride.I have to say, this goes on my list as one of the best books I have read this year. There are scenes in London but most are in France. Eve's London home figures prominently in the beginning and later in the book too - that's why I am linking up with British Isles Friday.Kate Quinn has found a new fan and I plan to look for her other publications.
The story and writing was good but the narration by Saskia Maarleveld was a marvel. The switch between 4 different accents (American, English, Scottish and French) - not to mention genders and ages - was breathtakingly good. It was a refreshing twist on the World War spy novel with some feminism and romance as well. If all books were at least this good, the world would be a happy place.
One of the best books I read in a long time. The story is about a woman spy during WWI, who by the end of WWII is a broken, nasty drunk and the young pregnant American girl she meets who is looking for her cousin who disappeared during WWII. Throw into the mix a Scotsman, who served in WWII and his gone to prison for beating up someone. Together they form unlikely trio. The spy after the man who was a traitor, the American girl seeking her cousin and the Scotsman who cares for both of them. The book goes back and forth from WWI to just after WWII. Well done.
I would have enjoyed this historical novel much more if I had not already read so may books about World War I and II. Here are a few of the great ones I have read: All the Light We Cannot See, The Women in the Castle, The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls, The Book Thief, and Sarah’s Key. All these historical fiction books were fantastic, but I am officially at my limit regarding this time period.I think because of my subject burnout that The Alice Network just wasn’t as amazing as these other titles. However, I do love reading about strong, brave, independent women. This book has two main characters that are all those things. This book goes back in forth between the current year of 1947 and the year of 1915 during World War I. Charlie St. Clair is obsessed with finding her beloved cousin Rose. She is also pregnant and unmarried and supposed to be going to have an abortion when she skips town to search for Eve Gardiner, a woman who may have some information about the disappearance of her cousin.Eve Gardiner was a spy that was part of “the Alice Network” in France during World War I. Eve is a bitter and hard woman that basically drinks herself to oblivion to forget her past and the things that happened to her during the war. These two end up on the road in search for clues about what happened to Rose. As they travel, we learn all about Eve’s days as a spy and all the horrible things she has endured. The pair is driven along by a chauffeur named Finn who is a nice addition to the story. He keeps these two women in line and helps ease the pain in both of their hearts.This book isn’t just about the war and the horrible effects it had on those left behind. It is also about guilt, and redemption, and forgiveness, and survival. It is actually based on a true story. Apparently there really was a spy group of women called the Alice Network during the war. This book is a tribute to the brave, strong and determined women they must have been.
This book had two parallel stories; one set during WWI and the other at the end of the Second World War. Personally, I found Eve's story far more fascinating as she risked her life spying for British Intelligence as they tried to destroy the Kaiser. Eve was courageous, intelligent and spunky. Charlie St Clair, on the other hand, was a naive, pregnant girl looking for her beloved cousin. Her story wasn't as interesting but, thankfully, an older Eve, played an important role in it and Charlie's emotional growth was obvious throughout the story.However, despite an interesting storyline, I found that the book dragged at times, especially when I was following Charlie's story. Overall, an okay historical novel, but not one of the better ones I've read.
Historical fiction about a women's spy network in WWI, and an American/English Girl post WWII who is looking for her French cousin. She finds Eve/Margaurite & her caretaker Scottish convict Finn & Eve reluctantly goes off with Charlie to see if they can find Rose. Heartbreaking tale that I listened to, would make a good bookclub book.actually listened on audio via Hoopla
I thoroughly enjoyed this one from the start (I missed my subway stop reading) to the finish (stayed up past my bedtime to complete). I liked the story, the characters, and the craft. It can be a burden shifting from one time-period to another--including an investment in new research! Quinn did an excellent job.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn opens in 1947 as Americans Charlie St. Clair and her mother arrive in England on their way to Switzerland. Charlie is being taken to a clinic to have an abortion. But Charlie has other ideas and slips away from her socialite mother on a quest to discover what happened to her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared during World War II. Her first step leads her to the home of Eve Gardiner, an older woman who may have information about Rose to share with Charlie.The story is launched as Charlie, Eve and Finn, the chauffeur, head off to France to trace Rose. Eve has her own reasons for helping Charlie and the story now divides into two times lines, one follows the past as Eve is recruited to be a spy during World War I. She is sent to German occupied territory as part of a female network of spies, working undercover as a waitress while gathering information to pass along to the allies. The other storyline follows Charlie’s mission to find her cousin. These dual storylines, eventually blend into one and there is plenty of romance, adventure and suspense along the way. The Alice Network was a great escape read even though I thought the book was little over-long, slightly repetitive at times and relied on considerable coincidences to move the plot forward. I definitely preferred the story of Eve during WW I as it was both intense and interesting. I had a little difficulty with the 1947 story as it was not easy to have a lot of sympathy for Charlie at the beginning of the story but she did mature and develop nicely by the end of the book and I did enjoy the relationship between the three main characters are they journeyed from one end of France to another.
My three star rating of “The Alice Network” is clearly a minority opinion – as of the moment (1/23/19) 2600 Amazon readers rate the book 4.7 stars; only 7 % rate it less that 4 stars. So, what’s my beef? At 500 pages, it’s too long by at least 100 pages. Too often I was tempted in the early going to quit on the book because I felt too many passages were dull and taking forever to get through. But I stayed with it and I am glad I did, but if you are going to tackle this you need some patience. The story got more interesting as it plodded along but there were still times that I put it down out of boredom. And yes, even the big climactic scene could have benefitted from some trimming.I was attracted to it because it deals with WWl and WWll, London (but to a lesser degree than I expected), spies, the underground etc. It is told in flashback; actually flashback is a big, big tool here so if you like bouncing back and forth over time this is the book for you. There are two main characters – Charlie, a 19 year old girl, pregnant and unmarried, determined to track down her cousin Rose who has been missing the last two years immediately following WWll. And there’s Eve, a tough but broken drunken survivor seeking vengeance from a German sympathizer in rural France. Their paths and resources cross and interconnect and the chapters alternatively tell the stories of their pasts.
The premise of this book was great and interesting: women working as spies during World War I; however, there was just a bit too much "drama" and coincidence. The story is told by two narrators. Charlotte, a young pregnant American, who is being taken to Switzerland by her mother for an abortion. Eve is a hard-drinking, tough and cynical old woman who served as a spy in German occupied France during World War I. They come together due to Charlotte's (who is called Charlie) search for her cousin Rose who supposedly died during WWII. The only thing Charlie has to go on is a piece of paper with Eve's name on it. When she finds Eve she also meets Flinn, a hardened Scotsman who serves a Eve's driver.The search for Rose by a young inexperienced girl was a bit unbelievable to me. Eve had become a lover to a sinister French restaurant owner, the same man that Rose later worked for. Eve's spying activity in the restaurant and her relationship to some of the other women spies was also sometimes over the top. However, I did research the names and this story is based on real women who served as spies during this dangerous time.The story is told in alternate chapters by Eve and Charlie. The ending is "movie ready" set in the home of the restaurant owner decades later. All ends happily. It was ok, just a bit too much romance and excitement for good historical fiction.
This story is framed by the two world wars. The main character in the first war is Eve, recruited to spy on the Germans. Charlie is the main character in the second time frame, looking for her cousin who was involved with the French resistance and is presumed dead. Charlie seeks out Eve, her link to finding her cousin, and thus begins the vacillating bulk of the novel. While the premise of the novel is intriguing and based on real people and real events, it somehow misses the mark of telling a really compelling story. The back and forth nature of the chapters gets tedious, and much of what could have been suspenseful is dashed because of what is revealed about Eve early in the book. Perhaps the book is just too long; some of chapters seem more like filler that does not advance the story. However, the last third of book is quite good - exciting and gripping where things actually happen - but it takes too long to get there. The story might have flowed if Eve’s story had been told as a long flashback after she met Charlie, and then the author could have finished with Charlie’s storyline when the stories converged. The characters were were interesting, and though flawed, showed development as the story progressed. The novel, too, is flawed, though it improved towards the end. I’m just not sure the ending was worth the journey.
Two stories together. A young American woman searches for her cousin Rose after World War II, enlisting the help of another woman who spied for Britain in World War I. The spy's backstory converges with the present-day search. All is resolved in the end, wrapped up tight. It isn't bad, but felt highly repetitive. Every theme is realized in both stories, and often in each of the four major characters' lives. Quinn is driving it home, but once would have been enough. The characters are not that compelling, with their banal concerns and personalities.
The Alice network is told in alternating chapters depicting how two lives converge towards the same goal. Charlie St. Clair finds herself pregnant in 1947 where at that time the course of action was to go overseas to have the problem taken care of. She decides to take advantage of this trip with her mother to breakaway and actually look for her cousin Rose who disappeared in France during the German occupation. The second and more interesting narrative is that of Eve Gardiner, who in 1915 decides to fight against the German by becoming a spy in the now famous Alice Network. Eve is trained and then placed in a restaurant in occupied France where the unscrupulous owner caters to the German and where Eve can overhear snippets of conversation that may be useful. The Restaurant owner, Rene Bordelon Takes a romantic interest in Eve and she must sacrifice her virtue for the good of the cause. These two narratives combine when Charlie convinces Eve that she must help her in her search for her cousin. Their journey will lead to important truths and dramatic consequences. The narrative is action oriented with writing only serving to forward the events, no great observations or keen insights, nothing too special. I did enjoy learning about this part of history. Fans of the Nightingale will like this novel.
4.5 starsIt’s 1947. Charlie is pregnant and her mother is taking her to Europe to take care of it. While there, unbeknownst to her mother, Charlie wants to try to find her cousin, Rose, who disappeared late in the war. Charlie has a couple of names and an address to help start her off. So, she pays Eve a visit. Charlie doesn’t yet know this (she knows nothing about Eve), but Eve was a spy in WWI. Now, Eve is a bitter woman, but she, her driver, Finn, and Charlie head to France to see what they can find out about Rose. It was the other name Charlie showed up with, Rene, that convinced Eve to help. On their journey, both Finn and Charlie find out more about Eve’s life as a spy as they also try to find what happened to Rose.The book flipped back and forth between Charlie’s viewpoint in 1947 and Eve’s during WWI, but the start of the chapter tells us who we are following and when, so it’s pretty easy to follow. I liked both storylines equally. Everyone had flaws, but I liked all the main characters, even the cantankerous Eve! “The Alice Network” really was a network of women spies during WWI, which I hadn’t heard of. It was really interesting to read about. Despite the length, I found it quick to read. I really, really liked this and I’m sure it will make my top 10 of the year.
A good read if you are an historical fiction fan. It introduced me to a group of women that I didn't even know existed during WWI and WWII that I am now interested in learning more about. Good character development and blending of plot lines between WWI and WWII (plus a bit of a love story for good measure). A good novel to think about the strength and resilience of people in occupied territories during the war.
Awesome book. I enjoyed so much. The real life Alice network of female spies in France in WW1.I was introduced to an aspect of war that I haven't read much about - espionage, and even less so to an aspect reflecting the courage and intelligence and iron will of women serving as spies during WWl
Another story based on war and the aftermath of war. The story jumps between WWI and 1947, as the reader meets Eve, Charlie, and Finn. Kate Quinn bases her story on the real female spy network of the two wars. Charlie, a pregnant American goes to France in search of an older cousin, Rose. Along the way, Charlie meets Eve, a female spy in WWI and WWII. Eve and her chauffeur, Finn, embark on the journey to France. Heart ache and emotional stress follows the unlikely trio from England to France, and each must find a reason to continue the journey. Kate Quinn brings the hardship of war vividly to the reader. I enjoyed the book but felt that the book lacked deep emotion.
Loved this historical novel. I learned a lot about female spies in WW1.
Definitely entertaining and difficult to put down. I was amazed to find out in the notes that some of these women spies really existed! And the author did a good job weaving them into the fiction.The characters are a bit...caricature-esque: A mysterious tough old alcoholic loner woman, a young woman from a good family longing to break free, a hunky understanding man with a troubled past, the evil man of no morals... The (as-expected) development of camaraderie and the blossoming of Charlie into a tough woman who has proved her mettle were a bit cartoonish.The message that the author wanted to convey about strong women was expressed without a single dollop of subtlety. What was bad (=restrictive social and personal values that considered women as second-class people) and evil (Nazis, collaborators) was very clear, black and white, again without any subtleties. ...All of which is probably why it was entertaining but ultimately not moving and unmemorable.But again, it was highly entertaining, so I still do recommend it for a plane or beach read.
Based on a true story about the queen of spies, we learn firsthand what the heroine of the story must do to gain information. The writing and the pace are a bit lacking, but the story is very good.
This novel is the intertwining story of a young girl turned spy in WWI and another unmarried but pregnant young girl searching for cousin in post WWII Europe. Along the way there are stories of betrayal and unspeakable evil but also healing and hope. This story reminded me again of how much there is to lose in war.
I've watched a few documentaries about WWII female allied spy Noor Inayat Khan. I kind of expected this book to be in that general ballpark. I was very pleasantly surprised that it was primarily set in WWI. The story does jump between WWI and 1947, the aftermath of WWII. I did find the 1947 story line substantially weaker than the other, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
This novel concerns three individuals who are still haunted by events that occurred during war. Nineteen-year-old pregnant Charlie St. Clair, still grieving the loss of her brother in WWII, has not heard from her cousin Rose, who has apparently disappeared, since she was an early adolescent Although Rose, who was more sister than cousin to Charlie, is considered a casualty of war; however, Charlie is convinced that she is alive. When her mother arranges for a trip to Europe to take care of Charlie's "little problem", Charlie abandons her mother to begin the quest to find her cousin. She enlists the help of a reluctant Evelyn ("Eve") Gardiner, a deeply emotionally-disturbed woman and former WWI spy. She is cared for by Finn Kilgore, a "man-of-all-work", a WWII veteran with his own psychological trauma. Together the three set forth on a quest to find what happened to Rose.The novel alternates between two times: 1947, which details the search for Rose, and 1915, which is Eve's story about as a spy in WWI France and how wartime events shaped the person that Charlie would meet in 1947, a woman with gnarled fingers that tries hide from her ghosts with alcohol and contemplating suicide. Although the quest's primary purpose is to discover what happened to Rose, it is also an opportunity for Charlie to discover Eve's backstory and a chance for all three to heal. The novel's plot was successful in pulling the reader into the three's journey. All the primary characters were well developed. I highly recommend this novel.