-
The Alice Network
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $36.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Huntress
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina's bravery and cunning will keep her alive.
-
-
Spellbinding
- By Jean on 07-28-19
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Rose Code
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything - beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses - but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets.
-
-
My Favorite Book!!!
- By Jan M on 03-09-21
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Diamond Eye
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the snowbound city of Kiev, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler’s invasion of Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the Eastern Front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
-
-
awesome
- By Bird Miller on 04-01-22
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Secret Keeper
- By: Kate Morton
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1959: Laurel Nicolson is 16 years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.
-
-
Kate Morton (and Caroline Lee) does it again!
- By Maria on 10-20-12
By: Kate Morton
-
The Nightingale
- By: Kristin Hannah
- Narrated by: Polly Stone
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audie Award, Fiction, 2016. From the number-one New York Times bestselling author comes Kristin Hannah’s next novel. It is an epic love story and family drama set at the dawn of World War II. She is the author of twenty-one novels. Her previous novels include Home Front, Night Road, Firefly Lane, Fly Away, and Winter Garden.
-
-
Irritating Narration and Trite Writing
- By Summer Layne on 05-09-19
By: Kristin Hannah
-
The Things We Cannot Say
- By: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now 15 and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears.
-
-
Formulaic and Romanticized
- By Michael & Cora on 11-04-19
By: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Huntress
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina's bravery and cunning will keep her alive.
-
-
Spellbinding
- By Jean on 07-28-19
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Rose Code
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything - beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses - but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets.
-
-
My Favorite Book!!!
- By Jan M on 03-09-21
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Diamond Eye
- A Novel
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the snowbound city of Kiev, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler’s invasion of Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the Eastern Front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
-
-
awesome
- By Bird Miller on 04-01-22
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Secret Keeper
- By: Kate Morton
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1959: Laurel Nicolson is 16 years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.
-
-
Kate Morton (and Caroline Lee) does it again!
- By Maria on 10-20-12
By: Kate Morton
-
The Nightingale
- By: Kristin Hannah
- Narrated by: Polly Stone
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audie Award, Fiction, 2016. From the number-one New York Times bestselling author comes Kristin Hannah’s next novel. It is an epic love story and family drama set at the dawn of World War II. She is the author of twenty-one novels. Her previous novels include Home Front, Night Road, Firefly Lane, Fly Away, and Winter Garden.
-
-
Irritating Narration and Trite Writing
- By Summer Layne on 05-09-19
By: Kristin Hannah
-
The Things We Cannot Say
- By: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now 15 and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears.
-
-
Formulaic and Romanticized
- By Michael & Cora on 11-04-19
By: Kelly Rimmer
-
Lilac Girls
- A Novel
- By: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati, Kathrin Kana, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline's world is forever changed when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939 - and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement.
-
-
Absolutely wonderful
- By Elice Lehmann on 09-27-16
-
Resistance Women
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American - Mildred Fish Harnack - and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
-
-
Excellently researched and written!!!
- By Bob L. on 07-02-20
-
Mistress of Rome
- Empress of Rome, Book 1
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress' rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life, but that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.
-
-
If you loved the series Rome; don't miss this.
- By Dixie Diva on 12-16-15
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- A Novel
- By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Narrated by: Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated.
-
-
I’m not crying, you’re crying
- By bridget on 07-16-18
-
Code Name Hélène
- A Novel
- By: Ariel Lawhon
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Peter Ganim
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1936, and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name. As Lucienne Carlier, Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border and earns a new nickname from the Gestapo for her remarkable ability to evade capture: The White Mouse.
-
-
Mixed Feelings
- By carpsmarsh on 02-14-21
By: Ariel Lawhon
-
All the Light We Cannot See
- A Novel
- By: Anthony Doerr
- Narrated by: Zach Appelman
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is 12, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
-
-
4.72 stars......one of the best
- By james on 08-08-17
By: Anthony Doerr
-
The Serpent and the Pearl
- Borgias, Book 1
- By: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Leila Birch, Maria Elena Infantino, Ronan Vibert
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rome, 1492: The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous - or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web.... Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham.
-
-
Narrator for Giulia sounds like she needs a nap
- By lintoinette on 09-06-13
By: Kate Quinn
-
The Lost Girls of Paris
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden, Henrietta Meire, Candace Thaxton
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs - each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station. Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war.
-
-
Don’t bother
- By Carol on 03-28-19
By: Pam Jenoff
-
The Giver of Stars
- A Novel
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything.
-
-
Weird Similarities to “The Book Woman...”
- By MMinSouthernCA on 11-21-19
By: Jojo Moyes
-
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
- A Novel
- By: Mark Sullivan
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 17 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager - obsessed with music, food, and girls - but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldier - a move they think will keep him out of combat.
-
-
Jumped the shark
- By Melissa on 07-25-18
By: Mark Sullivan
-
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
- By: V. E. Schwab
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever - and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
-
-
Prose style not to my liking
- By C.V. Cox on 10-18-20
By: V. E. Schwab
-
Ribbons of Scarlet
- A Novel of the French Revolution's Women
- By: Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, and others
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin, Lisa Flanagan, Barrie Kreinik, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six best-selling and award-winning authors bring to life a breathtaking epic novel illuminating the hopes, desires, and destinies of princesses and peasants, harlots and wives, fanatics and philosophers - six unforgettable women whose paths cross during one of the most tumultuous and transformative events in history: the French Revolution.
-
-
Ribbons of Scarlet
- By Kathryn Green on 12-04-19
By: Kate Quinn, and others
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.
Featured Article: 45+ Quotes to Boost Your Confidence
Feeling down and unsure of yourself? Launching a new business? Changing careers? Going back to school? Whatever your goal, these quotes offer a much-needed reminder: Believing in yourself is critical to achieving it. Nearly everyone has attacks of insecurity and self-doubt. These wise and rousing words will give you a much-needed jolt of self-affirmation and the strength of mind to soar. Gathered from some of the greatest novelists and most successful self-dev authors, the following quotes will help you reclaim your confidence. So, read on—and be brave, be bold, and be your amazing self!
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about The Alice Network
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrea
- 02-28-19
Great narration, story lacking
The narrator was enjoyable to listen to. She did a great job with the various accents and pronunciations and had different voices for each character.
Pros: the story idea is great! I had never heard of the Alice network and enjoyed that. The author did a good job of switching between the stories and tying them together so they dovetailed nicely at the end. Despite the cons I will list next, it was engaging and I wanted to know how it would end.
Cons: agree with many others who have said they enjoyed Eve's story but found Charlie insufferable. The equations, "little problem", "rosebud" as references or literary devices were annoying and distracting. However the one that really drove me crazy was the constant use of the word, "lagonda." The author used it at every point when one could have said, "car" and also added it unnecessarily when a vehicle is already implied. I rolled my eyes and cringed a lot during the Charlie chapters and sped up to 1.25.
I don't regret listening to it but won't listen again. This would have been better reading because then I could have skimmed through a lot. Also, as others have noted, there were a lot of gratuitous sex scenes and foul language, presumably for shock value and to establish these as "modern", relatable women, though I couldn't relate to them.
139 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marie
- 02-25-18
We are standing on the shoulders of giants...
I would give this book 10 stars. The performance is EXTRAORDINARY, EXCELLENT and just wow. This book is well written, the characters are so real, you feel everything and it is full of interesting historical tidbits from World War I and World War II, but most of all it has excellent character development and you will not want to put this book down. I can only recommend this book. The women are so brave, determined and yet so down to earth. What a story. Get the book!
If you liked my review, please vote.
thanks,
776 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kaitlyn
- 02-15-18
High Rating Very Misleading!!
I bought this book and I really wanted to like it, it’s exactly my type of era and I loved the female spy bit and possibility of interlinking stories.
But here’s the issue(s)...
- The protagonist (Charlie) is insanely unlikable
- Very flowery, graphic, annoying descriptions
- Feels more like cheap, perfume-y mommy-porn than actual literature
- Highly repetitive “little problem”
If you want a book to make you cringe over and over again, by all means. If you actually like reading GOOD books— and not just the one publishers dropped a ton of money into marketing— skip this and save yourself some dollars and revulsion. I have never felt compelled to review a book until now and it was purely because I found it’s ratings so disgustingly misleading and it’s content childish, predictable and like one of those romance excerpts you’d find at the back of Cosmopolitan magazine. Except at least THOSE end. This just drags on and on and on.
Props to the narrator though, she did a good job and delineated accents and characters well.
375 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joseph
- 07-27-17
Jane Austin meets Jason Bourne
Narration was excellent. Was able to distinguish the nuance between characters without going over the top to exaggerate any accents.
Story was good enough to keep the interest through to the end. Good descriptions of the scene to lead you to picture events without going sideways trying to thesaurus you to death.
I thought it was a spy novel, like a less violent Jason Bourne or possible detective recounting an unsolved mystery of an old war. It intertwines new mysteries of an old spy and a new girls hunt for old answers, however a little more romance scattered through-out then I anticipated.
429 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Debbie Mathisen
- 07-08-17
Great Story of Spies and Survival
'The Alice Network' was fantastic! I couldn't stop listening. The characters are well developed and interesting. The story line is intriguing and kept my interest from the first sentence to the last. Intertwined with a bit of romance the story line becomes even more interesting. While reading you learn about the human perils of war and spies during those wars and how war affects even the innocent. The narrator does a wonderful job and was well chosen for this book. I would highly recommend 'The Alice Network! whether you get a written or audible version!
185 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R.A.
- 03-07-18
Not Even a 5 Star Narrator Can Save This Story
The Narrator:
It's not surprising that Saskia Maarleveld has been nominated for a Audie for her performance here: the story would be completely lost without the strength of her performance. Personally, I disliked the voice she chose for the main character (an American girl); however, it was a case in which it was very challenging to distinguish between the way the character was written and the performance (i.e. I'm not sure the character could've been performed in a more agreeable manner). Still, that is just a personal preference, and there is no denying the talent she brought to the book as a whole: clear, distinct voices that really evoked the characters, and good management of characters of both sexes. In short: pretty much everything you'd hope for in a solid narrator.
The Characters - Meet Some 2D Stereotypes
I happily identify as a feminist and believe strongly that women should have equal rights and opportunities as men; however, one of the first things that hit me in this book was the heavy-handed helpings of *anachronistic* feminism. I don't think a woman has to walk around with a perpetually indignant inner monologue - as the main character does - to be in favour of women's equality. But this again is a personal preference - not enough to dismiss a book.
So I persevered in the listening, despite finding the main character pretty whiney, only to be disappointed at yet another poor stereotyping of a group; this time: mathematicians. Kate Quinn has conflated the field of mathematics with that of arithmetic. She has her character - who is supposed to be a burgeoning "mathematician" - go around summing up the world in positively jejune mathematical metaphors (e.g. "Me plus my best friend equals all the happiness in the world"; "This crazy old lady plus a gun minus any reason to hold back equals a completely unpredictable situation" etc etc). Oh, but of course, she's a math student - so she's *really* good with numbers: can add up a column of numbers that she sees from across the table, in her head, instantly, without error. I know that many people probably still conflate math with arithmetic, but basically once you hit algebra, the numbers start to go, and you can be a brilliant mathematician and still need a calculator to figure out what to leave as a tip.
To be clear, it's not just that this identity is "wrong", it's that it's simplistic and shallow: it perpetuates a pathetically thin view of how a human being (supposedly a real human being, with many different interests, hobbies etc) may see the world. Strike two for me. But still... the story had some interest.
SPIES!
I reached a point where I was able to stomach the whiney protagonist and the unimaginative stereotyping of a mathematician, and the plot started go some where with the stories of the 1st and 2nd world wars etc. It became the kind of story that you can listen to while doing something else (like math ;D) and you didn't need to worry about following closely, because the dialogue was trite and largely unimportant, but the story itself became interesting: I had hope. I thought "this is great - exactly the listen I needed right now" (I had a lot of math to do, you see). But then...
SEX
Yes, our feminist-mathematician driven story finds a way to weave lots of gratuitous sex and talk about sex throughout the novel. The protagonist betrays absolutely no inclination towards being unusually sexually active (for this time, in history) and then, quite suddenly, you learn she is literally sleeping with entire frat houses. Again, I don't have a problem with sex or women who have lots of it - but there's just no consistency in the character. Ms. Quinn just seems to have them do whatever she feels is necessary to move her story forward. It was at this point that it felt like I was reading a book intended for some very specific audience of sex-starved women who want to see the world in a very simplistic manner. This was about 2/3rds of the way through & it was a crash and burn from there (though I held out hope until the end).
& MORE STEREOTYPES
Was there a rough-around-the-edges, tough-guy who didn't talk much but had a charming accent, who was actually super sensitive and passionate? Yes there was.
Was there an "evil man" who's person represented all the badness of the entire world and the horrors of war, but did not have any clear motivation for his truly grotesque and horrendous actions? Yes.
Did said "bad man" perform savage acts of torture (described at length) without any clear motivation? Absolutely. Did it add to the story - only for shock value.
Was there a world-weary, disenchanted old woman who was also rough-around-the-edges but went through a magical transformation and became a loving godmother? Oh yes there was.
Were all the characters somehow "broken" and magically healed of life-long, (really!) serious problems (like severe alcoholism and a tendency towards assault that verges on the murderous) just through the power of meeting each other - pretty much, yeah.
IN SHORT:
Obviously I don't think this book is worth your time or your money (or I wouldn't have taken the time to write all of this): there are better options out there if you're looking for actual literature, or an engaging story, or stories of the heroism of women in the 1st and 2nd world wars etc. & I got this during a sale - not even recommended as a daily deal.
If what you're looking for is a book you can doze off to at the beach while listening without worrying about having to go back, then this one will do the trick, but even then there are better options.
Whatever you choose, I hope you find a good read :)
304 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L.W.
- 06-08-17
PAIR AMAZING STORY+AMAZING NARRATOR=A TRUE MASTERPIECE
I listen to so many disappointing books and/or narrators. When you find a jewel you are just amazed. This is a real author who knows how to write, truly you are pulled into this tale from the beginning , ride the wave as it swing you up and down but never lets you go. I do not enjoy stories in which our inhumanity to one another is so painfully brought to life. However this author does not leave you in despair. Thank you for that. Thank you for every bit of this great book.
203 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Debra Celovsky
- 12-30-17
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.
69 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Elizabeth
- 10-09-18
15 hours wasted
I didn't like this book. Shocked at all the positive reviews.It was not for me. So many better books from that era and genre. I feel like I wasted 15 hours. I almost quit several times but kept hoping it would get better. I felt the characters were stereotypical, one dimensional and unbelievable. I disliked them. A good editor could have cut out a few hours. So glad I can move on to a good book.
85 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Desteny Cox
- 06-26-17
best book I've heard in a long time
wonderful kept me on my toes wanting more an more I fell in love with all the great tales that mixed together to make a plot that will take your breath at times make you want to scream with anger cry with joy an kill all at the same moment
92 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 02-01-18
not worth the time spent on reading/listening
The Alice network would make a decent movie, even a good one if actors do their job well, but it's quite a bore of a book. It is predictable, it is full of clichés, and, honestly, it is overfilled with the word "whore".
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ellen
- 07-07-17
An historical eye opener
The Alice Network prompted me to look in to the World War 1 spy network, until I listened to the story I would have said the first female agents were those if SOE during world War 2.
I enjoyed the story and it kept me hooked till the end. There is heartbreak and stomach churning accounts in the text and the story is an interesting, informative one that will keep you engaged.
I found the characters from the First World War far more engaging and believable, I liked them and cared about their fate the most. They were well written and rounded.
I found the post World War Two timeline lacking in comparison. The narrator's accent for Charlie grated and got on my nerves which may have added to my apathy for the character. Finn was the dependable dream man and at times it was a bit Mills and Boon. Charlie's life was the most sheltered off all the characters however in an era of depression, world wars, loss and personal tragedy she was too modern in my opinion. She seemed to have come from a totally different era and for some reason I can't quite put my finger on I cared less about her. The redeeming feature of that story line was that you do become drawn in and invested in finding out what had happened to her missing cousin. If it had not been for that Eve, Lilli and Violette could have happily had the book to themselves and in my opinion it wouldn't have been any poorer for it.
I am not sure that I would listen to the story again but I did enjoy it.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Christineb
- 06-30-18
Only three stars
I've read The Nightengale recently so I started this book thinking it might be similar It was far- farched even silly at times Story was just not authentic Struggled to finish it.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- humphreys_girl
- 11-08-20
Rich, Moving, engrossing
By far one of my favourite listens. A storyline that kept me guessing and hoping. Not always a comfortable listen but a rich mix of loss and hope.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hannah Lane
- 01-16-18
Captivating listen
Really enjoyed this audiobook. A captivating historical fiction novel which I enjoyed listening to on my way to and from work. Would thoroughly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Genny F
- 12-15-17
Really good , give it a go
I loved this, such a fascinating story, and some of the characters are based on real people. History, women spies, interesting plot.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Milliner
- 11-04-17
didn't want it to end brilliant
didn't want it to end it was a brilliant story and it was read really well.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- George
- 10-22-17
Melodramatic.
Overly melodramatic silly fantasy , some semblance of reality is needed to keep any halfway intelligent reader interested , this was not written for the reader but for the author to live some sort of dream.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Karen Croan
- 08-02-17
Great
I loved this book, I particularly loved Lily's character & was thrilled to find out she really existed, & was as good IRL as she appeared here.
The split between 1915 & 1947 worked well & Kate Quinn ensures we care about both main characters despite or even because of their flaws. It also didn't shy away from the realities for women under foreign rule & for female spies & the sacrifices they make. Would strongly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- carol
- 07-31-17
excellent
I loved this book, it was a great story giving a small insight into woman involved in the resistance during the war.
It was beautifully preformed.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 08-14-17
Fantastic
Loved this book possibly one of the best i have listened to on Audible. Narrator was very good for the book quick and clear. And O lovely american accent not bland at all. Author painted a vivid picture... ready for the movie.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- KRockBlock
- 06-04-18
Fantastic!
Absolutely loved this book. The characters come to life from the very first page. My new favourite.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Pauline C.
- 06-10-21
Fantastic!
A fantastic story involving various women in and after WWII. Gripping and suspenseful. Well researched.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amanda Dettrick
- 04-05-21
A Journey to Truth
Many novels about the atrocities of war leave me feeling a little overwhelmed - so much destruction and outrage, courage and death-defying lives - that it becomes too much and my senses deaden in self preservation. All those beautiful words start to loose their meaning. This novel allows you to see the aftermath of war, and how life can prevail. It was well read, with good characterisation. Well worth a listen.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sabra
- 03-30-21
Great book by a great author
I couldn't put this book down.Wonderful novel.So well researched.Narration spot on.
It wouldn't surprise me if a film studio comes calling. Kate Quinn is on the top of my list as a brilliant raconteur.I have already purchased her next book.Thank you
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tracy
- 05-08-19
Excellent historical novel!
I loved this historical fiction which tells us the story of Eve as a spy in the war, and the story of Charlie who is looking for her cousin lost during the war. Charlie convinces Eve to help her and we learn more of their back stories and find out how their paths have been entwined.
It was narrated wonderfully too!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 05-05-19
Just wonderful!
This has been the best audiobook I have listened to. The narration by Saskia Maarleveld was excellent. And full marks to Kate Quinn as the author.
Chapter after chapter I was drawn in and felt I was part of it. I listened whilst in my car and found myself driving slower so I could find out what happened next as there are so many twists and turns. This is one book I didn’t want to end!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jan Seymour
- 04-13-19
Great wartime mystery.
This story kept me guessing until the end. Narration was extra easy to listen to.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tamara
- 07-02-17
Interesting story to pass the time
Might have enjoyed the story more if I had chosen to read the book. First audible book with a "yank" narrator. Sadly not my preference. Purely a personal taste. The story kept me hooked despite the accents. Recommend the novel.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 04-24-22
Warrior women!!
Loved it. The reader was fantastic. such a gripping story. The right mix of romance and terror..