Historical Fiction

France - before and during World War II

Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, New Zealand born, raised in Australia, and living in France prior to the German invasion, is a budding journalist working for the Hearst Corporation. Her signature piece is the photo she posted from Vienna showing the burgeoning terrorism toward Jews. But, because she is a woman, her name is never revealed - it goes against Hearst policy. Still, Nancy is not a shrinking violet and soon, something much more important will consume her future.

The story opens in February 1944 as Nancy and her mission partner, Hubert, parachute into Nazi occupied France to join Resistance forces. Nancy has the list of targets that the Allies need distributed once they land in France. She is also carrying forged travel documents to allow her to move around the occupied territory. When they land, they are met by their contact and delivered to their destination. What ensues are months of avoiding the Germans, getting radio instructions and supplies from London, and discovering just who can be trusted. Nancy is more than capable of leading this disparate group of men, and she makes no bones about it, much to shock of the French Resistance. Not one to suffer fools gladly, and with the support of those who have been sent to join her from England, Nancy is a force to be reckoned with and someone to trust when it comes to evading the Nazis and accomplishing her assigned goals..

Broken up into time lines, each labeled with one of Nancy's four code names, CODE NAME HELENE is a spellbinding, stunningly told tale of a real woman who poured all of her energy into each of her assignments. Initially, she was able to move many to safety after the Germans began to target Jews and others. Her marriage to Henry Fiocca enabled her to be financially secure and to use that money to rescue as many as she could. Later, after the Nazis began to hunt for her, she escaped to England, where she began training with others to get into France to organize the various factions of the Resistance, and, hopefully, be reunited with her husband.

Nancy Wake is a name not to be forgotten. She was beyond brave, an in-your-face leader, and still someone who used her red "Lizzie Arden" lipstick to feel strong. Admired by many, and hated by the Nazis, it is past time for Nancy's story to be told. Brilliant writing, and impeccably researched, CODE NAME HELENE is a must read.

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and will recommend it often!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Nancy Grace Augusta Wake was born in New Zealand in 1912, and her family later moved to Australia. She ran away from home at 16, finding work as a nurse’s assistant. Eventually, she found her way to London, where she bluffed her way into a position as a freelance journalist for Hearst newspapers. Settling in Paris in the 1930’s, she witnessed and reported on the rise of Hitler, the start of World War II and the atrocities being committed throughout Europe. In 1937, Nancy met met wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. One tango later, they fell hopelessly, madly in love. They married in 1939, setting in Marseille, France.

Henri was soon called to service, and Nancy decided to do her part by becoming an ambulance driver. She had told Henri that she wanted to pick her own wedding gift, and she chose for him to convert one of his company’s trucks into an ambulance. While Henri was away, Nancy went to the front lines as an ambulance driver. Henri returned, with a bullet hole in him, but alive. He soon learned that Nancy was deeply entrenched in the French Resistance, earning the name White Mouse, due to her reputation of remaining elusive and not attracting attention. Henri discovered that the Germans were on to her, and packed her trunk while she was out, insisting she leave immediately. Their plans were to meet in London in a week or so. Nancy left, making a harrowing escape to Spain and eventually Britain. She then became a full-fledged spy and saboteur, commanding thousands of men of the French Resistance. She was courageous, daring, bawdy and brave. You would have to be in order to parachute out of planes into occupied territory, kill an SS officer with a single karate chop to the neck, execute traitors, get shot at, break-out a fellow spy from a concentration camp, and ride a bicycle over 300 miles in 72 hours to deliver radio codes to the Allies. It was the bicycle ride that she felt was her best moment. And why did she do these things;

Freedom is the only thing worth living for. While I was doing that work I used to think that it didn't matter if I died, because without freedom there was no point in living.
Nancy Wake

I have heard of this incredible woman, and have the book, Nancy Wake by Peter FitzSimmons, on my list of books to be read. Lawhon appears to have taken time researching the book, and indicates she tried to stick as close as possible to Nancy’s version of events, as depicted in her autobiography, White Mouse. It is historical fiction nonetheless, so be aware of that. Nancy was a special woman who lived an incredibly amazing life, and I think she is depicted well in this book. The only exception I have is the timelines. They jump around continuously, in more than just past and present, and it gets terribly confusing. Also, I think I may have preferred her story told start to finish.

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I absolutely love stories of humanity during WWII. Showcasing these acts of bravery, and putting faces to names of those who put their lives on the line to help others, just never gets old. This was a horrible time in history and we should never stop learning about or remembering the brave souls who suffered under this horrible regime.⁣
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Code Name Hélène is one of those stories that just crawls in and captivates you, heart and soul. Based on the real life story of Nancy Wake, this is the story of a courageous woman who became one of the most decorated women in WWII. The author did a spectacular job capturing this fearless, tenacious, loving, brave, beautiful woman. She’s equal parts spunky and tender, which the author captured in a lovely way. This was a fascinating look at a courageous woman and I absolutely loved this book! ⁣
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Make no mistake about it, this book is a beast. I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of it at the beginning but in no time at all I was completely caught up in this story. I sat captivated through the last 60% in one sitting. The interwoven timelines threw me off a little bit in the beginning but I quickly grew used to them and they come together beautifully at the end.⁣
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Code Name Hélène is beautifully written and gets all of the stars from me! I can not recommend this book enough. Her work in the resistance needs to be told. She was strong, brave, relentless, and fierce. This is a powerful story and I am better for reading it.⁣
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Much gratitude to @doubledaybooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review! Put this on your TBRs and look for it in March!

A very good book on an unrecognized, at least to me heroine of WWII. An amazing book about an amazing woman!!

A wonderful, brilliant, heartbreaking story of WWII that is like nothing else I’ve read of the war. It’s beautifully written with scenic views and honest, likable, and hated, characters. A must-read.

I couldn’t put this book down. What a fascinating woman. Such courage! At first, I didn’t care for the style of the writing—too choppy or abrupt and not sure why it was split into ‘parts’ as that really didn’t add to the structure of the story—but the story quickly overcame any reservations that I had and, in fact, the style seemed very well suited to what I image would be the writings of Nancy Wake. So glad that Ariel Lawson gave voice to this story.

Nonstop action and irresistible characters set in a time and place when a way of life is changing by the hour. Read the whole book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! The larger than life heroine captured a feel of the uncertainty of life but also the courage and bravery of the French Resistance movement. And the best part is that it is based on the biography of a real, incredible woman who deserves to be remembered for her life saving work during a time when women were not seen as viable team members in fighting a world power. I can only hope to be as brave in the face of adversity and evil as Nancy Wake.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I fell in love with this story of SOE operative Nancy Marsh, aka, The White Rabbit. Yes, she really existed and the author’s end notes on her life are fascinating. She was beautiful, courageous, intelligent, witty, cussed like a sailor and could drink men under the table. She killed a Nazi with her bare hands and commanded troops of resistance fighters. Her endurance and resolve in war torn Europe was remarkable. She did extraordinary work for The Resistance in occupied France. Beautifully written, engaging and despite the context, the inter-dispersed humor in tense situations, works well.

This work is historical fiction at its best. Even though the book is fiction, this book is based upon true accounts of events in the life of Nancy Wake, an Australian female leader of the French Resistance during World War 2. Code Name Helene is fascinating in that it begins just as Wake (alias Madame Helene Andree) is being dropped into France by British intelligence. Interspersed throughout the story are flashbacks to Wake's earlier adventures as a correspondent for the Hearst newspaper company in pre-World War 2 France. The flashbacks continue until they meet up with where the story began, with Wake's parachute drop in 1944. The author's exhaustive research is evident as the story unfolds. As the line between fact and fiction is sometimes difficult to discern in an excellent work of historical fiction such as this, the explanations after the conclusion of the story are greatly appreciated. The author notes her sources and informs the reader which events occurred as written, and which were condensed to allow the story line to flow smoothly. Fictional characters are noted, and explanations given for the liberal use of profanity and alcohol. I am astounded I hadn't ever heard of Nancy Wake before, and am so grateful to Ms. Lawhon for writing about this amazing person these incredible series of events. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in World War 2, the French Resistance, female heroines, and life in occupied France.

I'm a sucker for a true story. Although categorized as historical fiction, the core characters and events in this book are real.

I was sitting on a solid 4 stars throughout 75% of this book, but the last quarter (and also the author's note at the end) blew it up to a 5 star read for me. Color me obsessed with Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, aka The White Mouse/Madame Andree, code name Helene. She was fierce, salty, irreverent, strong, and unapologetic. She threw on a coat of Lizzie Arden's Victory Red and BROKE THE BAT on some Nazi fools. I loved every minute of her adventures.

DO NOT GOOGLE HER STORY BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK. There will be spoilers. The author did an incredible job sticking as closely to the real story as she could, and in her notes at the end lays out exactly where and when she altered the timeline and/or any characters.

Publishing March 31, 2020 I am deeply grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me an early peek at this gem of a novel. PUT. IT. ON. YOUR. READING. LIST. NOW.

PS - This would make an amazing book club book.

PPS - Someone better adapt this for film. It would be incredible!

What a fabulous book. It kept me up late at night and at the edge of my seat! I love the fact that women who were and are so brave are FINALLY being written about and discussed. I am so happy and thankful for this author choosing to show the bravery of a woman and also show that despite being a bad a**, she can still wear some beautiful lipstick. I am so grateful for Double Day Books for allowing game the privilege to read this before the publication date.

I really enjoyed this story! I love dual timelines and I especially liked that this one went back and forth by just a few years. I didn’t know anything about Nancy Wake so I was very excited to learn about her and her bravery. Ariel Lawson is one of my favorite authors. Thank you for this copy .

Full range of human emotion.., if you’ve ever wondered if love is real, this is your answer. Historical fiction for feminists.

History buffs will enjoy this story of Nancy Wake, a true patriot of France. Having never heard of Nancy, her experiences during WWII in France were enlightening. What a gutsy woman she was! I found the back and forth between timelines distracting but otherwise enjoyed this novel. Recommended!

Ariel Lawhon has outdone herself with this one. This novel is about Nancy Wake, a woman with many different identities who was integral to the French Resistance's fight against Nazi Germany. Lawhon's interpretation of Wake's life made for compulsive reading. I spent most of the book on the edge of my seat anxious about what was going to happen next. Nancy Wake was someone I'd like to be friends with - smart, funny, bawdy, and unabashedly feminine even in inconceivable circumstances. Ms. Wake would be proud to see her story in this novel.

I could not put this book down. Thanks to the author for introducing Nancy Wake to her readers. It is a remarkable story of an astonishing strong and brave woman.

Another World War II novel to add to the growing shelf which leads us into the lives of that period's heroines and tragedies. Once again, as she has in previous novels, Ariel Lawhon sparks a moment in time to life, with a story that will stick like a burr in your brain. Enthralling.

WOW! I love WWII stories and this one is no exception!

The book is told by the 4 different code names that was used by Nancy Wake during WWII to assist the Resistance in smuggling people away from the Nazi's. This book was extremely well done and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in March 2020.

I had very much enjoyed Ariel Lawhon's previous novels which was why I gave this book a chance, despite my World War II fiction exhaustion. I enjoyed this based-on-a-real-person novel of an Australian socialite turned spy. The timeline switched back and forth a bit too much, in ways that didn't always serve the story. This was a solid world war two novel.