The Alice Network (OR, My Dream WWII Spy Novel)

"'...You know why none of us judge?... Because none of us have the goddamn right to look down our noses at anyone else's sins.'"

This was by far my favourite read of the summer. Don't get me wrong. I read a lot of great books these past few months but this one was highly enjoyable. It was one I couldn't put down because there was a new clue around every corner and I always seemed to get to the really good reveals when it was WAYYYYYY past my bedtime (funny how that happens). I obviously have a lot of thoughts on this novel so I'll try not to spoil anything.

Historic fiction is something I was relatively new to before I was introduced to Outlander and now it's one of my favourite genres. It gets me more interested in researching beyond the book and finding which facts are actually accurate and what really happened in the reality behind the book. So of course when I heard about The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, a post WWII spy novel, I needed to read it immediately. The novel follows the story of two different women from two different times in the first half of the 1900's. Both women are affected by different World Wars but one very common enemy. Evelyn's past during World War I told parallel to her and Charlie's search for answers post World War II made the story flow along so well and made it so much harder to put down. As soon as something intriguing started to happen in Evelyn's story, we switched to Charlie's POV and had to wait on pins and needles to get back to Evelyn. But then something exciting happened to Charlie and we'd be cut off and back to Evelyn's POV.  Un.Put.Down.Able! 

From the synopsis it seems like a story that follows a young heroine, Charlie, with some throw backs to her mentors past (Eve) but in reading it, it's clear that it's really Eve's story we are following. Hunting for her closure on her horrible past. I loved both characters equally but Eve's past was so sad and unfair that I couldn't help but love her story more. She was rejected because of her speech impediment. To prove herself and make her own way in the world she joined the Alice Network to prove herself. But it was more dangerous for women to be spies, they had to debase themselves in the worst of ways to keep from being caught. And once discovered, women spies were seen as good as whores, even from their own side. Women should never do a man's job (insert eye roll here).

It was frustrating at times to read because I had to keep reminding myself that the things these women had to deal with were normal at the time. Like Charlie, for example, who went off on her own, is of age, and made her own money from working her own jobs, yet she can't withdraw HER OWN MONEY out of the bank because she's a "young woman" and needs her fathers permission before they "allow" her with that kind of responsibility. ughghghghghghghghg!!! So alone and pregnant she has no way to support herself because the patriarchal rule won't let her. I couldn't imagine. Yeah things still aren't stellar for women these days but it's eye opening how much better off my generation is than even my own grandmothers. 

So, frustrations aside, one of the things I liked most about it was that there was a love story. BUT IT WASN'T THE MAIN FOCUS OF EITHER WOMANS LIFE!!!  I like romances. I like love stories. In my opinion, it makes the book a little bit better if there is one. Something to make you warm and fuzzy inside and go "awwwwww". But that wasn't the focus of this book. Yes both women fell in love but it didn't soften their exterior, it didn't make them any less badass. And it didn't detract from the importance of their individual stories yet it still lent them someone to confide in and lean on in the rare moments when they just didn't have the strength anymore to pretend everything was fine. Not all love stories have happy endings and thats ok too. This novel met somewhere in the middle.

Still, hands down, best read of the summer. Definitely five stars.

So read it! Please please please read it and then tell me everything you thought about it! Comment below if you have something you'd like to add or something that I missed or if there's books like this one you think I might enjoy (I already picked up another historical fiction by Kate Quinn called The Huntress)! I'm always open to book recs! 

-Taylor