War, Spies & Bobby Sox

By: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrated by: Diane Piron-Gelman, Derek Shetterly

Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

As World War II rages across Europe and the Pacific, its impact ripples through communities in the heartland of America. A farm girl is locked in a dangerous love triangle with two Germans soldiers held in an Illinois POW camp. Another German, a war refugee, is forced to risk her life spying on the developing Manhattan Project in Chicago. And espionage surrounds the disappearance of an actress from the thriving Jewish community of Chicago's Lawndale. In this trio of tales, acclaimed thriller author Libby Fischer Hellmann beautifully depicts the tumultuous effect of war on the home front and illustrates how the action, terror, and tragedy of World War II was not confined to the front lines.

©2017 Libby Fischer Hellmann (P)2017 Libby Fischer Hellmann

entertaining and informative

The author presents three tales of espionage on US soil set during World War I. These are based on stories of the time. I listened to these and found them entertaining and informative. I could see myself there as it was happening.

Great historical thriller!

What was one of the most memorable moments of War, Spies & Bobby Sox?

The emotion of Lena in the first novella, The Incidental Spy, is moving. This is not simply an action packed book, there is lots of emotion and tensions run high. It is written with such grace that you can feel the mother's pain and hopelessness to end up spying for her sworn enemies.

What does Diane Piron-Gelman and Derek Shetterly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They do a great job of distinguishing characters in dialogue and bringing emotion into the voices. I loved the German accents that I got from listening that I wouldn't have heard in my own head.

Any additional comments?

I don't normally read historical fiction, but I love Libby Fischer Hellman and she genre-bends like no other author I've ever read. War, Spies, and Bobby Sox is a collection of 2 novellas and a short story that are definitely historical thrillers. There is romance, espionage, mystery, murder, and war in each of these stories that keep the reader turning pages. We opened with The Incidental Spy, and I give this story 5 stars. This novella is fast paced and gut-wrenching; Ms. Hellman was able to put me in Lena's situation and give me compassion and empathy for her situation and her child. The second story, POW, seems like a lighthearted love triangle in the beginning, but has sinister undertones throughout, and comes to a dramatic ending. This novella also gets 5 stars from me! Then, we get the short story, The Day Miriam Hirsch Disappeared, which is a very fast story, so fast in fact that it seems clipped. I am not usually a fan of short stories, and this one could have definitely been fleshed out a bit more.

Overall, War, Lies, and Bobby Sox is a fantastic historical thriller that is made up of two absolutely fantastic novellas that will stay with you long after you have finished them. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't stop listening. I did listen to the audiobook, so I cannot comment on any grammatical/spelling/formatting issues. The narrator, Diane Piron-Gelman did a fabulous job of differentiating between the characters during the dialogue and even the different German men. This was a high quality audiobook that is definitely worth your money.

The author, Libby Fischer Hellman gave me an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; this in no way affects my opinions, although I am very grateful to her for the chance to listen to her book.

WWII Homefront with a bit of Cinema Noir

War, Spies & Bobby Sox captured the events that happened during World War II. The first story, The Incidental Spy is about a German woman blackmailed into spying on the Manhattan Project. The second story is about love triangle of a farm girl in Illinois and two German POWs. And the last story, The Day Miriam Hirsch Disappeared is about an actress gone missing in Chicago's Lawndale.

Listeners and readers will learn something of what is happening on American soil while the men are sent to both on the European and Pacific front during WWII. What most people will think is that the Germans are after the secret of the nuclear bomb. What they don't realize the Communists were also spying on American science and technology.

The second story of the love triangle is tragic. This bit of history is not known or learned in history classes. German and Italians POWs are shipped to the U.S. Those that are captured in Northern Africa are sent to the Mid-West. Those that are captured in Europe, are sent to New Jersey. I love this bit of information from this era. I also love the quote at the end of this story "that everyone is the victim of war."

The third story about the missing actress has a sense of cinema noir. This is a spy story with consequences and the question of "was justice served?"

I just love that the stories are told with factual information which are weaved into all three stories.

Both narrator, Diane Piron-Gelman and Derek Shetterly did a excellent job of narrating the stories. They are entertaining and deliver the stories perfectly. I love their performance and would love to listen to them again.

I was given this audiobook by the author. I have volunteered to review this audiobook. I was not compensated or influenced in any way in writing this review.

Intriguing Homeland View of WW II

What made the experience of listening to War, Spies & Bobby Sox the most enjoyable?

Focusing on how the war affected individuals in the US in 3 different vignettes was interesting. The second story about a young woman who fell in love with a German POW who was provided to work on her family's farm was less engaging and tragic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I especially enjoyed the story about the Jewish woman who was trapped into becoming a spy, she demonstrated resilience and courage.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final scene in the first story, liked the resolution.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again in the first story her commitment to her infant son and trying her best to make a good life for him.

Any additional comments?

The reader was very good.

War in America

I really enjoyed these three stories. There's been a lot of fiction produced about WWII over the past few years, but this one's unusual because, while it deals with the war, it's set exclusively in the U.S. - mostly in Chicago and deals with that very different war that was fought at home.
Nazis, communist spies, the Manhattan project, factory women in the war effort and Jewish refugees in America all have their place in this fascinating collection.
Well worth the time.

Wow !! Really Great!!

Not for the faint hearted, but if you enjoy some master character building, this book is for you! A real mystery novel. I seldom get surprised but the author faked me out! I really enjoyed it and I usually don't read or listen to this genre.. I am planning to read more from this author.
Narration is wonderful and very realistic..
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

A glimpse of trying times during WWII in America

The three stories were really, really good. The Narration was excellent. The stories take place during WWII and reflect the experiences and attitudes of the period. I found the writing to be excellent.

The Incidental Spy. The first story concerns a young girl, Lena, who escapes from Berlin just before the Nazi’s begin the roundup and termination of the Jewish population. It follows her story as she leaves the love of her life, Josef, and travels to the US for a new beginning, meeting and marrying Karl. The story then takes a major twist and you learn that maybe leaving Germany was not as simple as crossing the ocean. The characters are interesting and the story is a fast read, taking you from pre-war Germany, to war-time Chicago, to the infiltration of spies, to the development of the atomic bomb. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend the story.

P.O.W. The second story concerns the German P.O.W’s brought to the U.S. during the war. Since the men were off fighting the war, the wives and children left home on the farms needed help with the harvests. In this story, the P.O.W’s are hired to harvest apples over a 2-week period. The P.O.W’s included not only German soldiers, but also Nazi’s who were hiding within the group. The coming-of-age daughter becomes involved with one of the prisoners and, at this point, the story becomes a heartbreaking adventure for the young girl with twists and turns that change her life forever. This story is also a very fast read, and you do not want to put it down until the end.

The Day Miriam Hirsch Disappeared. This is a very short story about two teenage boys, one from the working class part of town, and the other from the upper class part of town. Fast friends, they spend all of their time together. The story follows their adventures in Chicago including loose women, bar patrons, and running collection for the mob. The story is well written and provides a glimpse into a slice of pre-war Americana from the prospective of one of the boys that is well worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Entertaining WW2 fiction

War, Spies, and Bobby Sox tells three powerful stories about women and spies taking place in the US during World War 2. The historical fiction stories are entertaining and moving, and the narration is well done.

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author. This is my honest and voluntary review.