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mommyandme_bookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This was a fascinating read, especially during Womenโs History Month. Based on a true story, The Woman with No Name follows Yvonne Rudellat who served as Britainโs first female sabotage agent during WWII.
This book was clearly well researched and appears to stay true to actual events. Overall, I liked this book. However, I did find myself losing focus during some of the slower paced sections of the book.
I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook which was narrated by Amy Scanlon. I highly recommend the audiobook! Amyโs performance was stellar and kept me more engaged. She was a dynamic storyteller with unique accents/voices for the various supporting characters in the book. I had a great listening experience.
๐๐บ ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ: 3.5โญ๏ธ (4โญ๏ธ on audio!)
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ:
๐ฒ WWII historical fiction
๐ฒ Strong mature female heroine
๐ฒ Espionage and suspense
๐ฒ Dual timelines
๐ฒ Stories about finding purpose and resilience
Thank you @NetGalley @bookmarked and @recordedbooks for the advanced copies for review. Opinions are my own.
trudyd's review
5.0
I read a lot of historical fiction with one goal. I am always searching for a deeper understanding of what people experienced during that time period. I want to grasp the horrors, as we all should, as away to make we don't repeat the past. I expect to have times of sadness and disgust.
The Woman with No Name had me in tears. There was so much suffering. There were outbursts of anger. There was so much destruction and violence. I didn't expect to be so captivated by the story. I just wanted to keep reading until I reached the end. When I came to the end, the way she ended the story was ingenious.
Yvonne was a French native stuck in London feeling hopeless. She wanted to do something to help the war but was always told she was too old. Then one day she was contacted by someone from the SOE. She would be able to help France.
The Woman with No Name shares Yvonne's story from her training through the end of the war. She is a very proactive resistance worker. She motivates others to weaken the Germans. Frankly, she was simply brilliant in her efforts. I was impressed with what she could do. She shows us that age doesn't matter. Determination does.
Suspense riddles the story. There is a German determined to capture her. There is another leader that feels threatened by her. She didn't know how to trust. I didn't know who to trust but I couldn't wait to see if my guesses were correct. I was never quite sure what relationships were real and who might turn on the others.
We all know how a WW2 historical fiction ends. The allies win. It is things, like what this story hints at tells the story of how the Allies win. Total respect for all of those that made it possible.
The Woman with No Name had me in tears. There was so much suffering. There were outbursts of anger. There was so much destruction and violence. I didn't expect to be so captivated by the story. I just wanted to keep reading until I reached the end. When I came to the end, the way she ended the story was ingenious.
Yvonne was a French native stuck in London feeling hopeless. She wanted to do something to help the war but was always told she was too old. Then one day she was contacted by someone from the SOE. She would be able to help France.
The Woman with No Name shares Yvonne's story from her training through the end of the war. She is a very proactive resistance worker. She motivates others to weaken the Germans. Frankly, she was simply brilliant in her efforts. I was impressed with what she could do. She shows us that age doesn't matter. Determination does.
Suspense riddles the story. There is a German determined to capture her. There is another leader that feels threatened by her. She didn't know how to trust. I didn't know who to trust but I couldn't wait to see if my guesses were correct. I was never quite sure what relationships were real and who might turn on the others.
We all know how a WW2 historical fiction ends. The allies win. It is things, like what this story hints at tells the story of how the Allies win. Total respect for all of those that made it possible.
savetris's review against another edition
3.0
a fascinating story based on true events; however, the pacing was slow and the nonlinear narrative became hard to follow (for me, especially on audio). i think it would have been easier to connect with the characters if we didn't skip around the timeline so much. still, these women are important and we need more stories shedding light upon their roles in history.
farmfreshlisa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Woman with No Name by Audrey Blake is a WW2 story from the life of someone who went into France to fire up the resistance. A woman. A tiny older woman who everyone misjudged. Going from homeless after being bombed in London--to recruited--She was a spy of top caliber who set the world on fire where she worked. She was on their most-wanted list in that area for all the problems she caused.
And yet she was a woman with no name. Who served in order to help make the world better for her daughter. To try to do something with herself.
IN regards to the actual plot for Yvonne Rudellat I felt the book was pretty good in keeping it interesting. The weirdest disjointed part was actually like the first couple chapters. They just didn't flow properly.
It's a generic historical fiction taking place during the German occupied France of WW2.
I'm going to give it 3.5 stars. I think it definitely finished better than it started. But I didn't love it.
*I was given a copy of the ARC by the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% mine and I wasn't required to write a positive review.
And yet she was a woman with no name. Who served in order to help make the world better for her daughter. To try to do something with herself.
IN regards to the actual plot for Yvonne Rudellat I felt the book was pretty good in keeping it interesting. The weirdest disjointed part was actually like the first couple chapters. They just didn't flow properly.
It's a generic historical fiction taking place during the German occupied France of WW2.
I'm going to give it 3.5 stars. I think it definitely finished better than it started. But I didn't love it.
*I was given a copy of the ARC by the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% mine and I wasn't required to write a positive review.
bookishpsychologist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was an interest account of a real-life heroine named Yvonne Rudellat, who went undercover in WWII France to spy for Great Britain. She was the first British female agent and had to overcome misogyny and ageism despite her willingness to take a great risk for her country.
Overall, this was a great read for Women's History Month and I would recommend it to historical fiction aficionados, especially if you enjoy strong female protagonists, dual timelines, and stories of espionage. Warning - the book does not have a happy ending. I appreciated the author's note at the end, which clarified which parts of the story were true vs. which were guessed based on available information.
I received an audiobook to review in exchange for my opinion. Although there were times where I felt the plot lagged, I enjoyed the narrator, who really helped set the scene and keep me engaged, as she was able to do different European accents and voices for various male and female characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and RB Media!
Overall, this was a great read for Women's History Month and I would recommend it to historical fiction aficionados, especially if you enjoy strong female protagonists, dual timelines, and stories of espionage. Warning - the book does not have a happy ending. I appreciated the author's note at the end, which clarified which parts of the story were true vs. which were guessed based on available information.
I received an audiobook to review in exchange for my opinion. Although there were times where I felt the plot lagged, I enjoyed the narrator, who really helped set the scene and keep me engaged, as she was able to do different European accents and voices for various male and female characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and RB Media!
sveareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
4.75 stars - I really liked this book.
Many Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Important to say: This book is based on a true story. Most of the characters (except the germans) are based on actual people.
Summary:
This book is about Yvonne Rudellat. She's a woman in her 40s with an estranged husband and daughter. When their house gets destroyed, she gets left to fend for herself. After some hurdles along the way. She becomes the first ever female British SOE in France. The book has a dual time line in which both her time in training and her actual time in France get covered.
Story & Characters:
I found the story and the characters to be captivating. Yvonne was such a brave person. Together with Pierre Culioli she trained people to participate in the resistance and did so much more than anyone expected from an 'old' woman. It was so nice to see people working together and how seemingly tiny explosions can have such an impact.
Emotions:
This left me shocked and going on a deep dive into female spies during different time periods.
PS: Do you know the feeling when you love a book, but you can't really put into words how good it was... That's how I'm feeling about this.
laheath's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wonderful account of a middle-aged woman who trained with the SOE to fight in the French resistance during WWII. Her dedication, bravery, and leadership were remarkable and she helped to pave the way for other female operatives. Great cast of characters. I also enjoyed the interjecting chapters from the POV of the Nazi officer pursuing her. I appreciate the inclusion of the interesting author's note in the audiobook.
bookishnookish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love historical fiction, especially when it is based on real events and real people, real heroic women, especially is my favorite topic. Yvonne Rudellat was an SOE agent who fearlessly rebelled against the Germans during WWII.
I liked this book for the most part, but the back and forth timelines weren't the best when listening to the audiobook. My attention kept slipping. I loved the present timeline though. Really inspiring!
I liked this book for the most part, but the back and forth timelines weren't the best when listening to the audiobook. My attention kept slipping. I loved the present timeline though. Really inspiring!