Book Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
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.
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.
In 1947, Charlie St. Clair is pregnant and unwed. Her well-to-do mother takes her to Europe to take care of her Little Problem. Charlie uses the opportunity to escape her mother and search for her cousin Rose, who went missing in France during WWII. She finds and convinces Eve Gardiner to help her. Eve was one of several female spies known as The Alice Network during WWI. The book alternates between Eve and Charlie’s journey to find Rose and Eve’s experience as a spy in WWI.
I enjoyed The Alice Network, especially Eve’s story during WWI. I wasn’t that interested in Charlie’s story. A couple of turns in the plot were just a little too convenient and didn’t make much sense, which bothered me a bit. There’s also a torture scene that had me majorly cringing so beware if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing. I appreciated that the author did her research in writing about the spy network. At least one of the characters is an accurate portrayal of a real person. Recommended.
