hillaryjyoung 's review for:

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

5.0

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I have such a love/hate relationship with WWII historical fiction. It produces such compelling writing, but there’s no escaping the heartbreak. I have read other books about women who helped the war effort, but Nancy actually led large groups of men and they reported to her. Why don’t we all know more about this woman?! I want to learn so much more. The way the theme of marriage was woven through the story was so beautiful. It made my heart all fluttery. Normally I don’t like when books move back and forth between different time periods but this was an exception because there was a clear point to telling the story that way and the order it allowed information to be revealed. There were a few parts I had to graze past because my weak, squeamish stomach couldn’t handle it. The characters were sometimes a little hard to keep track of. But all in all, just wow. I wish I could read the whole thing again for the first time.