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The Alice Network: A Novel
Verfasst von Kate Quinn
Gesprochen von Saskia Maarleveld
Buchaktionen
Mit Anhören beginnenAnmerkung des Herausgebers
All the feels…
Set in post-WWII Europe, “The Alice Network” brings together two women from different generations and backgrounds. With espionage, scandal, redemption, and rage-provoking examples of at least five ‘isms,’ the story has a bingability score equivalent to “Game of Thrones: Season One.” In other words, get ready to stay up all night reading and feel all the feelings.
Beschreibung
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.
Buchaktionen
Mit Anhören beginnenInformationen über das Buch
The Alice Network: A Novel
Verfasst von Kate Quinn
Gesprochen von Saskia Maarleveld
Anmerkung des Herausgebers
All the feels…
Set in post-WWII Europe, “The Alice Network” brings together two women from different generations and backgrounds. With espionage, scandal, redemption, and rage-provoking examples of at least five ‘isms,’ the story has a bingability score equivalent to “Game of Thrones: Season One.” In other words, get ready to stay up all night reading and feel all the feelings.
Beschreibung
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.
Über den Autor
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Rezensionen
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.
Rating: 4One 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.
Rating: 5Historical 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
Rating: 5I 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.
Rating: 4Two 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.
Rating: 3The 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.
Rating: 34.5 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.
Rating: 5A 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.
Rating: 4Awesome 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
Rating: 5Another 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.
Rating: 3Loved this historical novel. I learned a lot about female spies in WW1.
Rating: 4Definitely 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.
Rating: 3Based 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.
Rating: 4This 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.
Rating: 4I'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.
Rating: 4This 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.
Rating: 4An incredible story about female spies in Europe during World War I. Eve wanted to contribute to the war effort so she agreed to be in the Alice Network. The book flips back and forth from her days in the war (1915-1919) and her life after World War II (1947), when she met Charlie St. Clair who was looking for her cousin Rose.It was a difficult book to read because the details were so stark and hurtful that I couldn't forget between the readings. Eve stayed with me day after day and I cried for her.The best thing is that the author appends an epilogue which was a way to tie up the lives. But the author's note was necessary for me to keep these characters in mind, knowing that there were fictional ones and true ones. These women were incredible and deserved to be remembered, even if in fiction.
Rating: 4The Alice Network is a fascinating read, it's based on a real woman, Louise de Bettignies or Alice Dubois. This historical novel tells two parallel tales, one of several female spies in Lille during WWI, the other of a socialite student looking for her cousin who went missing after the end of WWII. Eve Gardiner, one of the spies in the Alice Network, is the link between the two stories. Eve is a foul mouthed bitter woman who carries a Luger. Charlie is a pregnant socialite who has never known danger, but thinks she can save the world. Both are searching for something....I love how more and more female heroines are being recognized for their accomplishments.@katequinn
Rating: 4WWI female spies
Rating: 5Intense, informative, well-written, gripping, satisfying. Tags: 2018-read, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, made-me-look-something-up, made-me-think, read, read-on-recommendation, taught-me-something, uncomfortable-reading-but-good, will-look-for-more-by-this-author
Rating: 4Charlie St. Clair's search for her French cousin Rose, missing in the aftermath of World War II, leads her into an unexpected partnership with a spy from the first World War. The difficulty of locating Rose is interwoven with the war experiences of Eve (a fictional character), written as part of the historical Alice Network of spies led by Louise de Bettignie. As a long-time lover of historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed the blending of the two time periods. Brutal at times, the happy ending smooths, but cannot erase, the scars cut into the people who live through a war. I would recommend this for all readers of war fiction or spy novels, and I loved the shout-out for Edith Cavell, an extraordinary British heroine, who many Americans know nothing about.
Rating: 5This was an enthralling novel about World War I and the Alice Network, a group of women spies who gathered information about the Germans in Occupied France. The story alternates between two time periods, World War I and post World War II. The plot was well developed and I was surprised to read about all of the true events that this story is based on. Historic fiction fans will definitely enjoy this. Definitely 5 stars for the plot and its historic references. But I found some of the characters, including one of the main female leads, to be a little two-dimensional. So not, my favorite historic fiction book this year, but definitely and enjoyable one.
Rating: 4Learned history I knew nothing about
Rating: 4Kate Quinn's The Alice Network deals with female spies, and is set in WWI and the aftermath of WWII. Young, pregnant and unmarried in 1947, Charlie is traveling with her mother to Switzerland to end her pregnancy. She makes a detour in London to search for her cousin who has been missing for three years in France.Charlie finds Eve, a middle-aged woman, who is drunk, angry and has a gun. Charlie convinces Eve and Eve's Scottish driver/assistant Finn to help her find her cousin. Eve reluctantly helps, but she has an ulterior motive- she wants to find the man who tortured her during WWI and kill him.The story shifts in time to WWI, where Eve is working as a spy in France with the Alice Network, run efficiently by Lili, a small woman of large talents. Eve works as a waitress in a restaurant frequented by Nazis, where she is able to gain information useful to the British government.But getting this is information comes at a high price for Eve. She becomes involved with a French collaborator, and this relationship will haunt her for the rest of her life. The Alice Network is a pulse-pounding read. Eve's mission is dangerous, and she and Lili risk their lives more than once. The Alice Network is based on true events- there was an actual Alice Network, a spy ring run by women in France. The characters are brilliantly drawn, and although both stories are intriguing, Eve's story is truly astonishing. I can't get her out of my mind.
Rating: 5What a wonderful book. I loved it! The book is about two different women, separated in age by about 30 years, but both women have a common goal that throws them together. Eve Gardiner served in the Alice Network, which was nn actual spy group that operated in France during WWI. Charlie St. Clair is a young, pregnant unmarried American woman who comes to England in 1947 looking for her French cousin who was lost during WWII. Fate and a scrap of paper with Eve's name on it sends Charlie to seek out Eve. The book runs two parallel storylines - Eve's and Charle's and it moved back and forth seamlessly between the two timelines and the two wars. Eve's tragic story of her experiences in the Alice Network is revealed bit by bit in the story. When Charlie finds her in England, Eve is a drunk, foul-talking woman, living alone in a Londond house. But the common goal to find the man responsible for Eve's tragic story sends the two women on a quest to France. Back and forth we go as Eve, Charlie and Eve's man of general work - a young Scotsman named Finn, search for the devil that was Rene Bordelon. This story gripped me from start to finish! The real-life Alice Network was depicted so well by Ms. Quinn. Her fictional characters are mixed in seamlessly with the real-life characters of the network. I loved these two brave women, and I loved their story. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5I had to read the About the Book section to learn that a network of female spies during the Great War was real. It was called the Alice Network and Lili is based on one of those women. The story moves between 1915 and 1947. Eve Gardiner is old after WWII, drunk and swears like a sailor. When a young American woman named Charlotte shows up, searching for her cousin Rose, (who disappeared like so many during WWII) Evelyn reluctantly accompanies her to France, after Charlotte mentions a name from her past. Obviously, it's Eve's story in 1915, but in 1947, really becomes both their stories as the road to Rose leads to difficult memories. Truthfully, it got a little long, but both Eve and Charlie transform into good characters.
Rating: 3Very good book. Loved the back and forth between the times. A little known history of the Wars
Rating: 51947: American Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and after the suicide of her war wounded brother, desperately searching for her cousin Rose who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France. She tracks down Eve Gardiner, an unpredictable woman with misshapen hands who drinks hard and waves a Luger around. But Eve is a woman with a past, and she wasn't born with her hands like that. Charlie, Eve and Finn (an ex-soldier suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and employed as Eve's driver), travel from London to France to try and find Rose, and while doing so uncover Eve's heroic story, her thirty-year burden of guilt and the identity of the man who tortured her so brutally. Based on the true Alice Network of female spies that operated during World War I. Stunning. Powerful. Tragic.
Rating: 4There's nothing spectacular about this book. It was fine, I didn't hate it, I finished it, but I didn't really get anything out of it. It tells the story of a young woman who is on her way to Switzerland to get an abortion after World War II, and she tries to track down a friend of hers who was last heard from in France during the war. On her search, she runs into an older woman who was a spy in World War I. The older woman is a curmudgeon, so naturally by the end she softens up and the two women become friends. I suppose that if I hadn't already read a bunch of historical fiction from this time period, I might have found this more interesting, but I didn't think there was anything terribly interesting here.Slightly spoilery content warning: [spoiler]In the older woman's backstory, there are extensive descriptions of her sexual relationship with a collaborator she is spying on. The relationship is consensual, in that she is in the relationship of her own choice, but only because she is spying on him: she finds him disgusting, and he is cruel and manipulative. If you find yourself bothered by creepy sexual relationships, you should avoid this book.[/spoiler]
Rating: 3I recieved this book in exchange for a review. I loved this story. I have always been a fan of historical fiction, and I am now a fan of Kate Quinn. I was so drawn into the story I had trouble putting the book down. I started to google some of the dates and facts. I cried when they cried and laughed when they laughed. I believe it takes a great writer to pull someone so far into a story that they feel real emotions while reading. I will be on the lookout for more Kate Quinn books in the future.
Rating: 5