The Alice Network

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

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.

Shines in this popular genre

I very much appreciate books that endeavor to remind us of the sacrifices made by men & women as they resisted the evils of the world wars. Quinn does this in searing detail. Some scenes went on a bit too long, the denouement, for instance. But those are forgiven in the sweep of a story that reminds us that war is always hell & freedom is never free.

Excellent story

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the story, the richness of the characters, and the excellent writing and performance by the narrator.
There are some tough moments (violence) but it was not gratuitous and was a part of understanding one of the main characters.
I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it based on originality, character development, and intricate writing and pacing.

This is a fine book.

I listen to lots of audio books and I'd put this in the top 5%. Great characters, plot lines, and nice sense of humor throughout. Warning, there is a torture scene near the end that is really tough to take. It is essential to the story, not gratuitous, but as I say, difficult. Balancing that out is the deep love that evolves as the story progresses. I will probably listen to this book again.

home run

This book, unlike so much fiction about WWII, is compelling from beginning to end. It is really the story of two women's experience of WWI and the mystery that brings them together. The narrator is perfection moving through American, British, French accents.
The characters are all fully developed and not charicatures--Eve, physically broken by her work against the germans in WW2, moves toward the opportunity offered by Charlie, a young American girl, to finally repay in kind the treatment she received. Charlie searching for her missing French cousin experiences the impact of WWI through Eve's story and WWII through her search and relationship with Finn, a veteran of the war.
Through Eve and Charlies stories we are transported back and forth from 1915 to 1947 to a Europe of cold, deprivation, cruelty and barbarism, allieviated by the heroism and sacrifice of the women of the Alice network.

A satisfying read

With two women leads, the narrator’s skill was critical to give each a distinctive voice. She did an excellent job as she did with the believable Scottish Finn. He might have sounded as much Irish as Scottish but definitely male. Very important to me. Her talent added much to what was already a very enjoyable story of two strong women, generations apart, each with a quest. The structure of hearing a bit of each character’s story back and forth pleased me. Again the narrator being so good kept the confusion at a minimum. A pleasurable experience all round.