Tag: spy

Linda’s Favorite Books: A Bridge Across the Ocean

A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner

First Line: A friend’s baby shower was the last place Brette Caslake expected to encounter a ghost.

Summary: It’s 1946 World War 2 is over and Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy are among the hundreds of European war brides aboard the RMS Queen Mary crossing the Atlantic to be reunited with their American husbands. But secrets come to light in their shared stateroom and when the ship lands in New York Harbor, only one of them embarks.

PRESENT DAY. Brette Caslake is facing difficult decisions in her life when she visits the famously haunted Queen Mary. What she finds there will cause her to solve a seventy-year old tragedy that will shake her mentally, and emotionally concerning the heartaches and triumphs of the war brides.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book as I am an avid reader of historical fiction, especially books based on true stories of World War 2. I learned about the lives of war brides and how difficult it would be to come to America to start a new life with a husband and family they barely knew. I would recommend this book as a great historical fiction book!

What’s Ashley Reading?: Code Name Helene

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

First line: I have gone by many names.

Summary: World War II has arrived in France. A spy named Helene has dropped into France. She has money and the means of getting arms to the struggling resistance. Told through interweaving code names and timelines we get the story of Nancy Wake, an Australian woman who uses her wits to help undermine the Nazis.

My Thoughts: This was a fairly average WWII novel. It reminded me of The Alice Network in many ways. I liked Nancy and her husband Henri. I loved their interactions. The suspense and writing were well done. The history of this woman is written very well. I think people that love anything during this time period will really enjoy it. I used to read WWII books exclusively but it has slowly become one of the topics I rarely read about anymore.

FYI: Lawhon is an excellent author. I loved her book I Was Anastasia. It was told in such a unique way and on a subject I love to read.