The Alice Network: A Reese's Book Club Pick

Kate Quinn

Jun 2017 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

Featuring an exclusive excerpt from Kate Quinn's next incredible historical novel, THE HUNTRESS

 

NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLER

#1 GLOBE AND MAIL HISTORICAL FICTION BESTSELLER

One of NPR's Best Books of the Year!

One of Bookbub's Biggest Historical Fiction Books of the Year!

Reese Witherspoon Book Club Summer Reading Pick!

The Girly Book Club Book of the Year!

A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBub

 

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter

Ratings and reviews

This review was written by Marie for a guest review post on Ever After Book Reviews blog: A fascinating and engrossing read, The Alice Network is the kind of historical fiction that dreams are made of. It follows two different story arcs; that of an Alice Network character during 1915, and the other of an American woman on the quest to find her cousin in 1947. The book is cleverly written, with each chapter alternating between Charlie (in 1947) and Eve (in 1915). Each chapter smartly plays out the ins and outs of these women and the struggles they faced in their respective roles in society. Eve, a spy, putting her life on the line at every turn, and Charlie, a woman faced with a societal stigma and a tenacious need for answers. Each woman is incredible and fascinating in her own right, and the similarities of their story arcs were really eye-opening, as you realize that through all walks of life, the struggles are all the same. I absolutely loved taking this trip back in time with two extremely well developed characters that prove just how strong women truly were, and continue to be. I voluntarily read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

It was a little far out of my wheelhouse, it lacked vampires & space aliens, but I still enjoyed it. It's a really good story with well written characters, but a bit slow. I wasn't enamoured until about 70% of the way through. Love the inclusion of the real accounts and who the characters were based on at the end of the book. Overall decent.

Kate Quinn has written an incredible story about the forgotten women who fought in WWI and WWII, and the horrible choices only women had to make, and the price they paid! This book has wonderfully strong, damaged characters, set in war ruined Europe, I couldn't put it down!

About the author

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.