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ktmp2112's review
5.0
An amazing story about an amazing woman I had never heard of/knew nothing about!
evawondergem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Antisemitism, Vomit, and Torture
keralajane's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
4.5
This book was a great read. Nancy Wake's TRUE LIFE is so exciting (how is there not a movie about her??) and the writing brought her to vivid life.
pam2375's review
4.0
WOW! I love WWII stories and this one is no exception!
The book is told by the 4 different code names that was used by Nancy Wake during WWII to assist the Resistance in smuggling people away from the Nazi's. This book was extremely well done and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in March 2020.
The book is told by the 4 different code names that was used by Nancy Wake during WWII to assist the Resistance in smuggling people away from the Nazi's. This book was extremely well done and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in March 2020.
papelcaracol's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
jesslolsen's review
5.0
I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for ages but was always out off by the number of pages. I’m so glad I got over that and picked it up - there wasn’t a full moment and the pages flew past easily.
I felt so emotional after reading this story! I was awed by Nancy’s life and accomplishments, but the ending also got me in the feels massively (when you get there you’ll know what I’m talking about)
I felt so emotional after reading this story! I was awed by Nancy’s life and accomplishments, but the ending also got me in the feels massively (when you get there you’ll know what I’m talking about)
megsreads's review
4.0
War ravaged France. A female spy. Red lipstick armor.
In 1936, Nancy Wake is an Australian expat living in Paris and working as a journalist when she meets French industrialist, Henri Fiocca, and falls madly in love. Just after they marry, the Germans invade France and Nancy inadvertently (and then purposely) begins working as a spy for the French Resistance and the Allied Forces. Code Name Hèléne weaves together different timelines as Nancy assumes various code names—Lucienne Carlier, Madame André, Hèléne, and The White Mouse—in her resistance work. Armed with her weapon of choice, red lipstick, Nancy manages to claim a position of great power and respect in the entirely male-dominated world of tactics and war. The story of Nancy Wake is quite fascinating and is made exponentially more impressive by the fact that it is true!
Historical fiction isn’t usually my go-to genre and I’m not a fan of reading about war as I much prefer lighter adventures with stories I can escape into. But this read was a bit different from other WWII books I have read as it takes place almost entirely in France. I really enjoyed this alternate perspective instead of reading yet another book about Jewish persecution in Germany. There are still a few horrific portrayals of the Nazis to be sure, like the old woman being whipped on the wheel, the woman cut sternum to stomach in front of her small daughter, and the man who was tortured with the hot poker up the rectum. But overall this is more a story of strategy, female empowerment, and love. It was really neat that the author managed to weave together the different genres of historical fiction, spy novel, and romance and it made for a very interesting and engaging read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
”I had an option early on, of choosing a male pen name,” I tell him. “Why didn’t you?” “I decided that if I couldn’t get credit for my work, as myself, I wasn’t willing to give it to a man who doesn’t even exist.”
In 1936, Nancy Wake is an Australian expat living in Paris and working as a journalist when she meets French industrialist, Henri Fiocca, and falls madly in love. Just after they marry, the Germans invade France and Nancy inadvertently (and then purposely) begins working as a spy for the French Resistance and the Allied Forces. Code Name Hèléne weaves together different timelines as Nancy assumes various code names—Lucienne Carlier, Madame André, Hèléne, and The White Mouse—in her resistance work. Armed with her weapon of choice, red lipstick, Nancy manages to claim a position of great power and respect in the entirely male-dominated world of tactics and war. The story of Nancy Wake is quite fascinating and is made exponentially more impressive by the fact that it is true!
Historical fiction isn’t usually my go-to genre and I’m not a fan of reading about war as I much prefer lighter adventures with stories I can escape into. But this read was a bit different from other WWII books I have read as it takes place almost entirely in France. I really enjoyed this alternate perspective instead of reading yet another book about Jewish persecution in Germany. There are still a few horrific portrayals of the Nazis to be sure, like the old woman being whipped on the wheel, the woman cut sternum to stomach in front of her small daughter, and the man who was tortured with the hot poker up the rectum. But overall this is more a story of strategy, female empowerment, and love. It was really neat that the author managed to weave together the different genres of historical fiction, spy novel, and romance and it made for a very interesting and engaging read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
librak's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Biographical fiction of Nancy Wake.