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heyaquarius's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
jager123's review against another edition
4.0
Featuring some amazing women from the French Resistance, The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck is just alittle different in all the right ways. I’ve read alot of these books over the last 18 months and I wasn’t sure how I felt about this one until I finished it. The story was engaging. The characters felt genuine. But the tempo felt off kilter and elements of the story lacked believability. But the main character, based on an American who was recruited by the SOE, slowly worked her way in to my heart. Her obvious PTSD, courage, loyalty to her people and desperation to play a part in defeating the Nazis made her someone I would buy a drink for. Gotta love someone who when told to go have a sleep on a day in 1944 just after D day responds that she hasn’t slept since 1940 and keeps going. This is a story about war. Of sacrifice. Of secrets. It is a love story. The love for a country other than your own. The love for friends, colleagues. Love for self. Beautiful.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this fictionalized WWII story based on the actual life of Virginia Hall - an American spy with an amputated foot, who worked for the SOE (Special Operations Executive) - a secret British organization that operated during WWII to help support the resistance efforts across Europe. Her story is incredibly inspiring - the number of people's lives she helped to save all while operating undercover, with a significant disability and hiding the fact that she was Jewish! Natasha Lester called this the one WWII book to read this year - I'm not sure if I would go that far - The rose code and Our darkest nights are still number one and two respectively for me right now - but it is definitely a great read. Recommended for any WWII historical fiction lovers or fans of A woman of no importance (another book about Virginia Hall). Anyone wanting to read about more real life WWII women spies should also check out Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon or Code name Lise by Larry Loftis - two books about American spy Nancy Wake.
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Virginia Hall was an American embedded in France who eventually became well known for her way to get much needed supplies to the resistance fighters hoping to rid their towns of the Nazi regime.
The thing that I liked about this book was the different perspective of this war that has been written about time and time again. Seeing the resistance fighters up close and personal and finding out the work that went in to get them supplies and to keep all of the things hidden was so interesting. Knowing before starting this book that the main character was based on fact made reading her story so much more impactful.
Virginia Hall was an American embedded in France who eventually became well known for her way to get much needed supplies to the resistance fighters hoping to rid their towns of the Nazi regime.
The thing that I liked about this book was the different perspective of this war that has been written about time and time again. Seeing the resistance fighters up close and personal and finding out the work that went in to get them supplies and to keep all of the things hidden was so interesting. Knowing before starting this book that the main character was based on fact made reading her story so much more impactful.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck, narrated by Caroline Hewitt
American Virginia Hall worked as an Allied spy during WWII. For her heroic actions she received the Distinguished Service Cross (the only one awarded to a civilian woman in World War II), was awarded the Croix de Guerre by France, and she was made an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. The Invisible Woman mostly focuses on her work from March 1944 to the end of the war, while sometimes taking us back to her earlier war days, via flashbacks. By the time we meet Virginia (codename Diane) she has hardened her heart and mind due to the massive loss of life she's witnessed and her great feelings of guilt over many of those losses.
By 1944 the Gestapo considered Virginia the most dangerous of Allied spies and her wanted poster was plastered all over France. Due to having lost the lower part of her left leg, Virginia wore a wooden leg and walked with a limp, a very serious impediment when it came to avoiding notice by anyone looking for her. But Virginia was a master of disguise and would transform herself into an old woman, thus allowing her limp to become just a part of her decrepit old lady disguise.
This audiobook sent me off for more information about Virginia. It's so easy to see how this high achieving woman would take each and every death, of those who depended on her, to heart. But she couldn't "care", couldn't allow feelings to interfere with the hard decisions she had to make every single day. She was responsible for getting supplies and weapons to the French resistance and also responsible for helping to train the men for an enemy that would get even more brutal once they knew defeat was on the horizon.
This story brought to life so much more than all that Virginia did to further the Allied cause. We see the roadblocks she faced because she was a woman sent to train and supply men. While the various factions needed to work together, many were not at all willing to listen to a woman, an old woman. Often she could win them over once they could see just how much she was able to do for them and how much she was willing to risk for them. As a wireless operator during the last part of the war, Virginia was the link to supplies and weapons that were the only hope against an enemy that was destroying every man, woman, or child in their path.
This is a remarkable story but it doesn't just tell Virginia's story. Even though people and events were often combined or altered from real life, the fight had countless named and unnamed heroes, risking and giving their lives to defend, hide, transport, and save thousands. This story left me wanting to know more about people who fought to save others during this time and place in our history.
Pub Feb 9, 2021
American Virginia Hall worked as an Allied spy during WWII. For her heroic actions she received the Distinguished Service Cross (the only one awarded to a civilian woman in World War II), was awarded the Croix de Guerre by France, and she was made an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. The Invisible Woman mostly focuses on her work from March 1944 to the end of the war, while sometimes taking us back to her earlier war days, via flashbacks. By the time we meet Virginia (codename Diane) she has hardened her heart and mind due to the massive loss of life she's witnessed and her great feelings of guilt over many of those losses.
By 1944 the Gestapo considered Virginia the most dangerous of Allied spies and her wanted poster was plastered all over France. Due to having lost the lower part of her left leg, Virginia wore a wooden leg and walked with a limp, a very serious impediment when it came to avoiding notice by anyone looking for her. But Virginia was a master of disguise and would transform herself into an old woman, thus allowing her limp to become just a part of her decrepit old lady disguise.
This audiobook sent me off for more information about Virginia. It's so easy to see how this high achieving woman would take each and every death, of those who depended on her, to heart. But she couldn't "care", couldn't allow feelings to interfere with the hard decisions she had to make every single day. She was responsible for getting supplies and weapons to the French resistance and also responsible for helping to train the men for an enemy that would get even more brutal once they knew defeat was on the horizon.
This story brought to life so much more than all that Virginia did to further the Allied cause. We see the roadblocks she faced because she was a woman sent to train and supply men. While the various factions needed to work together, many were not at all willing to listen to a woman, an old woman. Often she could win them over once they could see just how much she was able to do for them and how much she was willing to risk for them. As a wireless operator during the last part of the war, Virginia was the link to supplies and weapons that were the only hope against an enemy that was destroying every man, woman, or child in their path.
This is a remarkable story but it doesn't just tell Virginia's story. Even though people and events were often combined or altered from real life, the fight had countless named and unnamed heroes, risking and giving their lives to defend, hide, transport, and save thousands. This story left me wanting to know more about people who fought to save others during this time and place in our history.
Pub Feb 9, 2021
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Riveting. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable. I read a ton of WWII fiction & know details of Virginia Hall's life. So I was surprised at how much this book touched me. Author Erika Robuck has a light touch with some heavy topics, and I turned my Kindle pages quickly. (It's a nail-biter in parts as well.) Yet I was completely drawn in to care deeply about the characters. Virginia is an incredible heroine, and I loved her involvement with the boys of the resistance & the village of Chambon. The best part--she was real & this is based on true events. What an uplifting story! Top Pick!
dclaw's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing brave Virginia Hall....totally enjoyed the story of Virginia and the steadfast Cuthbert.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck is a well researched, interesting book about Virginia Hall, a spy in WWII-era France. Virginia's story is fascinating, and the author does a wonderful job blending what is known about Virginia with plausible fiction based on the era. There were a lot of characters, and at times I did feel the story was hard to connect with, but the overall plot was fantastic! I am so glad I read this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
allarminda's review against another edition
2.0
Fascinating and true story.
Entirely too much telling and not enough (any) showing.
It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard and I couldn’t keep going.
Entirely too much telling and not enough (any) showing.
It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard and I couldn’t keep going.