Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
DNF. I thought it was a spy book, though you can tell from the cover that it's likely to have a bit of romance going on as well. My motto has long been to judge a book by its cover, and I should have trusted that here—it's basically a not-particularly-interesting romance, with some spy stuff going on as well. Suuuuuuuuper tedious.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is confusing at first, but once you figure it out, it is an excellent story!!
Code Name Hélène was such a great read. It vividly reimagines the life of Nancy Wake, a journalist who worked for Hearst in Paris and realised the darkness that Hitler and the Nazis were going to bring to the rest of Europe long before its leaders did. Nancy was such a badass historical figure
I'm surprised that this is the first-time I've heard about her heroic deeds -she had many names throughout history: as Nancy Fiocca, she's deeply in love with her husband wealthy industrialist Henri; as Hélène, she parachuted back into France to assist the Resistance; as Madam Andrée she leads the men of the Resistance and as the White Mouse, she ferrets as many people out of Europe at the expense of her personal safety. Nancy was really quite an amazing, brave lady and I really enjoyed this fictionalised account of her:
The novel was an absolute thriller in terms of how Nancy has to devise battle strategies to avoid detection while working with the resistance, their narrow escapes and how she has to manage the men working with her. The book was also structured in a really interesting manner as it unfolds along different timelines, between Nancy's initial discovery of the depths of cruelty of Nazi Germany to the future where she's parachuted into France to assist with the Resistance. Eventually the past meets the future but it is the journey that Nancy undergoes that is truly thrilling and bittersweet.
At the heart of the novel, as the author writes, is the romance between Henri and Nancy too. Aside from depicting her many heroic acts, the book also focuses on the personal cost that the war took on Nancy in developing her relationship with Henri, how it culminates in their marriage and his steadfastness and unconditional love for her in the face of such violence and cruelty.
I am frantic to find that slender tube of courage. Victory Red. The color of war and confidence and freedom. Finally, my pinkie brushes against the cool, familiar metal and I pluck it from my purse along with the silver compact Buckmaster gave me as a parting gift. We've now passed the drop zone and the Liberator turns back around in a lazy, rumbling circle, but I meticulously apply the lipstick.
"What on earth are you doing?" the dispatcher shouts.
"Putting on my armor."
I'm surprised that this is the first-time I've heard about her heroic deeds -she had many names throughout history: as Nancy Fiocca, she's deeply in love with her husband wealthy industrialist Henri; as Hélène, she parachuted back into France to assist the Resistance; as Madam Andrée she leads the men of the Resistance and as the White Mouse, she ferrets as many people out of Europe at the expense of her personal safety. Nancy was really quite an amazing, brave lady and I really enjoyed this fictionalised account of her:
The thing about lipstick, the reason it's so powerful, is that it is distracting. Men don't see the flashes of anger in your eyes or your clenched fists when you wear it. They see a woman, not a warrior, and that gives me the advantage. I cannot throw a decent punch or carry a grown man across a battlefield, but I can wear red lipstick as though my life depends on it. And the truth is, these days, it often does.
The novel was an absolute thriller in terms of how Nancy has to devise battle strategies to avoid detection while working with the resistance, their narrow escapes and how she has to manage the men working with her. The book was also structured in a really interesting manner as it unfolds along different timelines, between Nancy's initial discovery of the depths of cruelty of Nazi Germany to the future where she's parachuted into France to assist with the Resistance. Eventually the past meets the future but it is the journey that Nancy undergoes that is truly thrilling and bittersweet.
At the heart of the novel, as the author writes, is the romance between Henri and Nancy too. Aside from depicting her many heroic acts, the book also focuses on the personal cost that the war took on Nancy in developing her relationship with Henri, how it culminates in their marriage and his steadfastness and unconditional love for her in the face of such violence and cruelty.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
tense
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of my favorites of the year so far. The narrators were great. The writing has a cinematic quality where I feel like I can really see what’s happening but without the descriptions feeling overly florid. Highly recommend for fans of WWII historical fiction.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Riveting. A beautiful use of multiple timelines.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced