The Alice Network

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In an enthralling new historical novel from national best-selling 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.

It's 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.

It's 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.

©2017 Kate Quinn (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

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.

Enjoyed it!

I was pleasantly surprised with the voice performance. I don't usually like female readers, especially when they need to do make voices. This reader was able to do American, French, English, and Scottish accents convincingly for both make and female characters. I knew she was good when hearing Finn talk made me swoon! The story was wonderful as well, I was just really impressed with the performance.

Fantastic!

This book is incredible, riveting and exciting with humor and sadness in perfect doses. The narration is one of the best I've ever heard. I guarantee you will enjoy The Alice Network.

Outstanding

Loved it. A real beginning with a middle left to the imagination remarkable with an ending we all dream about successful.

A great book!

I loved this book. Exciting, wonderful characters, beautifully read. would definitely recommend. I hated to see it end.

Amazing Historical Fiction

Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network is fantastic historical fiction. The author expertly weaves together story lines from 1915 and 1947. Whether readers think it convenient or brilliant, the author ties the quests and ghosts of two women together at the novel’s zenith.

The two main characters narrate the novel. I found Charlotte “Charlie” St. Clair to be a rather self-absorbed, whiney girl who thinks she is a grown-up. Over the course of the novel, Charlie comes to the conclusion that she has not been tested, and realizes what strength and fortitude it took for Eve and her fellow spies to carry on throughout the war. Her continued use of the phrase “solve for X” became annoying after the second use. Unfortunately, she repeatedly uses the phrase every time she has a real life problem/puzzle. It was hard to get behind this character and care about her troubles, and at times, I was tempted to skip ahead to the next chapter.

The most interesting part of The Alice Network is Eve Gardiner’s story. She is a survivor of the covert Alice Network of resistance spies. She is a crass, salty dog, and every inch a battered war hero. Her story had me on edge and my stomach in knots. The slow unfurling of her activities in WWI was absolutely delicious.

Eve’s hired help, Finn, rounds out the trio on the quest. He is minimally developed, and acts as Eve’s muscle and a love interest for Charlie. I loved Finn’s quintessential calm, cool demeanor. He is a bit of an outlaw, but a gentleman at heart.

When the trio travel the French countryside in search of Charlie’s beloved cousin, Rose, the pace of the story speeds up quite a bit. From Lille to Limoge and finally Grasse, the three become covert agents in search not only for Charlie’s cousin, but also Eve’s nemesis. The excitement of the hunt along with the rich historical information enthralled me.

Jean Zimmerman said it best when she reviewed this book for NPR, “In The Alice Network, the lives of two indomitable women intertwine in a plot crackling with suspense. We root for Charlie and Eve, and cheer when they triumph.”

Excellently narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld